True Calling
by js1280
Summary: In the sequel to True Colors, we follow Godric, Eric, and Sookie as they discover their True Calling. What will a meeting with The Authority and Queen Sophie-Anne's scheming mean for the trio and the unlikely family they've assembled. Established Godric/
1. Plans

**True Calling**

In the sequel to True Colors, we follow Godric, Eric, and Sookie as they discover their True Calling. What will a meeting with The Authority and Queen Sophie-Anne's scheming mean for the trio and the unlikely family they've assembled.

Established Godric/Sookie/Eric, Jessica/OC, Alcide/Amelia

A/N: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

**Chapter 1: Plans**

Staring out over the crowd of fangbangers mixed with the few vampires on duty at the bar, Sookie was relieved she wasn't expected to make appearances at Fangtasia often. On the other hand, she really didn't enjoy the idea of people throwing themselves at either of her vampires.

Watching a young woman practically begging a male vampire to pay attention to her, she wondered if that was how she's looked with Bill. It seemed like a lifetime, not just a few weeks, ago that she'd fancied herself completely in love with that pathetic waste of space.

Sensing her emotions, Godric and Eric reached over from their seats on either side of her and each took a hand. Their touch immediately brought her focus back to the present.

"_Is everything okay, little one?"_ The ancient vampire worried that the last few weeks would eventually catch up with his beloved mate. The sheer emotional strain of finding out your lover was trying to drag you into a lifetime of servitude, an attempted rape, and attempted murder were more than most could handle without cracking. Tack on finding out you're part of the faerie royal family and mated to not one, but two vampires and it was no small thing that she wasn't locked up in a padded room.

"_Absolutely, I was just thinking about how much life has improved recently." _She let an image of the three of them curled up watching a movie surface in her mind. It was one of the few quiet nights they'd enjoyed and she was looking forward to a chance to repeat it. The three of them needed time to develop their relationship

Speaking aloud at last, the older of the two vampires grinned. "I see the magister coming in now. Eric, why don't you two finish your business for the evening? Then we can go home and enjoy another movie." Her thoughts had not gone unnoticed, and he agreed. They were all fully committed to this relationship, but without proper care their happiness could be diminished.

Reaching over to give Sookie a kiss, the Viking rose from his throne. Before starting toward Demetri he grinned down at the pair of them. "Movie night sounds like an excellent plan." He hated leaving his fae's side while at the bar, but knew Godric would make sure she was well protected.

"Well, at least the entire night won't be a loss." The fae couldn't help but smile at the thought of enjoying part of their night without an audience.

"Yes, I believe the evening is starting to look up. Now, while they get the dirty work done, what should we do to amuse the adoring crowd?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice.

The ancient vampire understood the need to be on display at his childe's business, but he loathed being under the scrutiny of the fangbangers. Even more so, he despised having his mate on display for a bunch of overly horny humans. Normally a pacifist, he wouldn't hesitate to bite first and ask questions later where she was involved.

Before Sookie could answer his question or comment on his thoughts, Pam stalked out of the door leading to the office. Stepping up to the dais, she slammed her frame into her seat, crossed her arms, and growled.

The mates exchanged a knowing look before the fae decided to take the bait. "Is something wrong, Pam?" She tried to sound sincere, but a hint of humor snuck through.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, the female vampire looked at her maker's mate as if she'd grown a second head. "Of course not, I'm just doing my job as well as the job of Eric's fucking day man because he's too preoccupied to bother to start recruiting."

Godric's growl startled her. He didn't care for the implication that dealing with the trial and Sookie was considered less important than hiring a new day person.

Quickly realizing her mistake, the blonde vampire explained. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that, but when I've asked about it he just pretends he didn't hear me. All he'd have to do is give me the green light, and I could start getting candidates lined up to interview."

The telepath contemplated the other woman's rant for a while. She could offer to assist, but personally she had no interest in getting involved in the daytime errands that largely seemed associated with the bar. Dry cleaning she could handle, spending an inordinate amount of time on the bar when she was already up half the night and getting ready to start her classes, not so much.

Godric felt a spike of mischievousness from his mate and grinned. She had a plan, and whatever it was, she was reasonably certain it would annoy his childe.

"Were you around when he hired Bobby?" Sookie was curious how the process had worked with the previous hire.

"Oh, I was around alright. Of course, Mr. High and Mighty Viking didn't see fit to consult with me and hired that little breather on his own."

The telepath smirked, as expected her darling Viking couldn't be left to make this decision on his own. Since that was the case, she might as well intervene now. Pam was right; they needed to get the position filled, especially with the meeting with The Authority coming up. She suspected they would all be busier after that.

"How soon do you think you can have a collection of candidates ready?"

Looking surprised, the female vampire was quiet for a short second. "It shouldn't take more than a couple days. Did Eric already talk to you about this?" She'd hoped to convince the telepath to lobby on her behalf, she never dreamed she'd get this far.

Trying to look innocent, Sookie answered. "Nope," popping the p. "But he keeps telling everyone I have the same authority he does to make decisions, so I'm darn well going to use it."

Both vampires erupted in a surprised fit of laughter at her declaration. Godric was glad she was willing to embrace the power given to her at all. Pam was secretly thrilled that the other woman was going to prove useful in helping her keep Eric on his toes.

"Well, in that case, how about two nights after the big meeting? I should be able to have a reasonable pool assembled by then, and we can knock out the first round interviews in one night." If Sookie was going to take charge, Pam wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by.

"That sounds perfect. Where should we hold them? I doubt any of us want a bunch of strangers prowling around the house."

"I have a contact at one of the hotels near here. Booking a meeting room shouldn't be any challenge at the hours we'd need it. I'll go make a few phone calls and start soliciting candidates."

Before she could leave, Godric spoke. "Pam, they must be able to respect Sookie without any knowledge that she is anything other than human. Until we know we can trust someone implicitly her true nature must remain secret, and I'll not have her disrespected by the hired help."

"Sure thing." Pam disappeared back to the office as soon as the words left her mouth. She wasn't sure how they could screen for that before an interview, but at the moment she was more than willing to make sure whomever they hired would treat Sookie like royalty.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Opening the door to the cell where the queen's guards were located, Eric gestured for Demetri to go first. He still couldn't believe that after all these years he finally knew the magister's name. He was quite curious where this budding alliance with the lawman would take them.

Their business for the evening involved getting any information possible from the pair and deciding if they should send them back to Queen Sophie-Anne or send them both to the true death. He also considered sending one to the true death and the other back to relay the message, but that might be a bit extreme.

Inside the room, Alcide had just landed a jarring blow to Wybert's rib as Sigebert sat slumped against the wall. Clearly the were had already had his fun with that one. Even with only the little they knew from the night of the trial, the were had taken their intent personally.

The magister spoke first. "I see you're loosening up their tongues for us."

The were landed one more hit before turning to acknowledge their presence. Giving a curt nod, Alcide stepped back allowing Eric and Demetri clearer access to the prisoners. Reclining his long form against the wall, he settled in to watch and listen.

"I must say, I'm surprised that Sophie-Anne sent two of her best to try and kidnap one little human. A human, I might add, she should have thought was dead. I'm even more surprised that two vampires known to be excellent fighters were bested by a pair of weres."

Remembering the were in the room, he cocked his head in Alcide's direction. "No offense, of course."

"None taken." After the last few days, he had no doubt the magister didn't actually mean his comments about Sookie or the weres.

Returning his focus to the two restrained vampires, the magister cocked an eyebrow as he waited for a response. Part of him hoped they'd be difficult just so he had an excuse to punish them further.

Realizing they had no real choice when it came to cooperating, Wybert spoke up. "She thought Bill was faking it all. She believed he had allied himself with Northman and was planning to keep the telepath for himself."

Exchanging a look with the Viking, the magister couldn't help but laugh. The queen's belief that Bill was that smart just proved how stupid she could be. "Well, I suppose I can't blame her for not trusting Compton. He is a bit of a snake. I still don't see how the weres got the drop on you."

Both vampires hung their heads, seemingly too ashamed to answer the inquiry. If word got out their reputations would go up in smoke.

"What? Afraid you'll lose your scary vampire status if word gets out? Hate to tell you but I don't think that's going to matter." Eric couldn't resist tormenting them a bit. Their reputations would do them no good when they were here, although their legacies would certainly take a beating.

Pushing off the wall, Alcide smirked. "Maybe their tongues just need a bit more loosening." He knew the vampires doing the questioning could dole out plenty of pain on their own, but wanted to remind the captives of his presence.

A look of fear dominated Sigebert's face. "No, no. We will answer." Both Eric and Demetri were quite impressed that the were had made such an impact on the pair already.

"Her Majesty assured us that we would encounter very little resistance. She expected only Bill, you, and your maker. We'd heard Godric had turned pacifist and assuming Andre was still around we expected him to assist if needed. We had no idea there would be a pack guarding the area, so we were content to relax until it was time to act. As her personal guards, it is very rare we get a night to ourselves."

The other two vampires could almost empathize. Being forced to spend night after night with Sophie-Anne could wear on even the most loyal follower.

As if he realized the way that statement sounded, Sigebert quickly added, "Regardless of what was expected, we would have done as the Queen asked. It is not our place to question her orders."

The magister shook his head slowly, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. That sounded much more like what he would expect from 'the 'berts', as he often referred to them. They were trained fighters, but none too bright.

He expected their value to the Queen boiled down to two things. First, they were stupid enough to blindly follow any order. Second, they could stand still and look threatening while appearing not to actually pay attention to the content of any conversation.

Something told Demetri they heard more than they let on. "So, the two of you are her private guards; by her side even more than her precious Andre."

Both lifted their heads a bit higher. "Yes, we are." They answered in unison, clearly proud of this fact.

"I imagine you know a great deal about the Queen's plans then, don't you?"

His question was met with a deafening silence as they stared at him. Apparently they weren't willing to completely turn on their queen without additional prompting.

With a quick flick of his wrists, the magister summoned Alcide and Eric both forward. There wasn't the slightest hesitation by either man.

As the 'berts slammed into the wall, the magister rephrased his question. "What is Sophie-Anne's interest in the girl, and what is she planning?"

Still met with silence, the Viking slammed his knee into Wybert's testicles. Vampire or not, that still hurt like hell. Seeing his companion writhing in pain, Sigebert caved.

"She's needs the telepath to strengthen her position in the alliance she wishes to make."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Andre stood silently, staring into the pool as he tried to ignore the incessant sound of dice hitting the table. He was actually enjoying the royal silent treatment she'd given him since his return after the trial.

The queen had thrown a royal fit that he returned without Compton and demanded the details. Quickly growing tired of her behavior, he'd given her only the highlights of the trial. She had no idea about the extra vampires or the pack of weres Northman was surrounded by.

The queen's childe wasn't sure if the Viking would ever know about this little act of loyalty, but he hoped it would help his case if the information came to light. He saw the writing on the wall. Sophie-Anne's days of power were numbered, and he planned to survive the shift.

"Andre, I need you to do something for me?" His maker's voice interrupted his thoughts, so much for the silent treatment.

Rolling his eyes, he slowly turned to face her. "And what would that be, your majesty?" Her eyebrow shot up, telling him he hadn't concealed his irritation well.

Closing the distance between them, Sophie-Ann ran her hand along his chest as she circled behind him. Standing behind him, her hand resting on his chest, she leaned over his shoulder to whisper in his ear. "Bring me Sookie Stackhouse."

Part of him wasn't surprised, but he still nearly choked at her request. "But you heard what the magister said. Anyone caught making an attempt on her is subject to meet the true death immediately. No trial, no chance, just true death. Would you really send me on a suicide mission?"

Feeling her hand gripping his neck, he realized trying to make her see reason was useless. Whatever her reason, Sophie-Anne was determined to have that human.

Almost as quickly as he felt it, the hand was gone. Trying not to laugh, he heard his maker stamp her foot on the marble floor and she let out a high pitched, annoying sigh. The queen was nothing if not proficient at throwing a tantrum.

"Surely you can manage to outsmart the Viking and his little maker. You just need to get her away from them and back here. They'll never know you were involved."

Did she really think he was that stupid? The Viking and his maker were two of the oldest and smartest vampires he'd ever met, and clearly, they had strong allies. There was no chance the girl would be left unprotected. He realized this was the down side of not telling her about the others involved.

Not to mention, Sigebert and Wybert still hadn't returned, and he guessed they wouldn't be.

Grant it, he hadn't exactly relayed the full extent of how protected the girl was, but she knew she was risking his existence by threatening the mate of the two vampires.

Andre stared at the queen, trying to figure out some way make it through this mess with his existence intact. Irritation still clear on his face, he had a sudden idea.

Doing his best to look apologetic for his resistance, Andre finally spoke. "Of course, your majesty. It may take some time, as I'll need to determine their routine so I know the best time to strike, but I will do as you ask."

Clapping her hands together, she almost skipped back to his side. "I knew I could count on you." The look in her eyes told him she was still confident that she owned his loyalty.

Bowing deeply, he was relieved to have an excuse to leave the room before the Yahtzee game resumed. "If you'll excuse me, I'll make arrangements to depart tomorrow night."

The queen waved him away as she headed back to the table.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Spotting an open table in the corner of Fangtasia, Jessica and Isabelle decided they'd had enough of mixing among the humans on the dance floor.

The younger vampire found she really enjoyed spending time with the Sheriff of Area Nine. She would be sad when the older vampire returned to Dallas.

Taking their seats, Jessica glanced over at the bar and spotted Alec mixing a drink while making casual conversation with a human girl. Her jealousy flared for a brief second before she realized that though he spoke to the human he was still watching her out of the corner of his eye.

She'd wondered why Eric asked him to tend the bar for the night, but seeing him in action; it made more sense. Stepping behind the bar, he'd pulled out his neatly tucked deep blue button up shirt and proceeded to undo all the buttons. The effect of his very well defined, pale chest and abs against the shirt couple with his piercing blue eyes seemed to be doubling the number of drink orders at the bar.

Isabelle cleared her throat and snickered at her young companion. She was well pleased with Alec's attachment to her friend. He would treat her as a queen while helping teach her how to survive in their often dangerous world.

"Why don't you go order us each a True Blood?" The words barely left her mouth before the redhead shot out of her seat and to the bar. Seeing her approach, the knight quickly handed the besotted human in front of him her drink and made his way to the spot across from where Jessica stood.

"My lady, what is your pleasure this evening?"

The young vampire nearly melted where she stood. As if his appearance wasn't enough, he'd let his accent have full reign as he spoke. No wonder nearly every woman and a fair number of the men in the bar looked as if they'd gladly give themselves to him.

Giving her time to recover her voice, Alec waited patiently; glad his lower body was concealed behind the bar. The horde of humans offering themselves to him had no effect on him, but Jessica's lust filled eyes would prove to be his undoing.

The sound of a glass shattering on the floor across the bar made the red-head jump. "We'll just take a couple of True Bloods. One O neg and one A pos."

Giving her a devilish grin, Alec stepped back and bowed. "Your servant, my lady."

She watched intently as he grabbed two bottles, heated them, and poured them into wine glasses before bringing them to her.

"This one is yours." He indicated which glass and enjoyed the view as she retreated back to the waiting Isabelle.

Taking her seat across from the waiting vampire, Jessica was sure her cheeks would have been scarlet red if she were still human.

"So, when are you two going to bite the bullet?"

"What do you mean?" The red-head squirmed in her seat. She had a pretty good idea exactly what Isabelle meant.

"Oh, come on. The sexual tension radiating from you two is enough to make everyone in the room want to go have a good fuck."

Though Isabelle had kept her voice low enough that most humans wouldn't have heard, Jessica was afraid to look toward the bar knowing Alec's superior hearing likely picked up every word.

"Don't try to deny it. I can see the way you two look at each other."

Groaning, the newborn relented and answered. "I'm not denying it. We've fooled around, but he's trying to give me time to get comfortable with the idea."

The other woman watched her intently as what she said sank in. "He'll be your first, won't he?"

Too embarrassed to speak, Jessica simply nodded.

"Well, I won't say it isn't going to hurt the first time, but I'd be willing to bet he knows a few tricks." Watching the knight out of the corner of her eye, she continued. "I'm assuming he knows how to use his venom to keep you from healing."

Alec looked straight at her and nodded. Good, he would make sure the experience was as painless as possible and prevent the poor girl from being a perpetual virgin.

"You know you can ask me if you have any questions. From what you've told me, I can imagine your human mother was less than forthcoming about sex."

Jessica finally met her gaze. "Thanks."

Finishing off her True Blood, Isabelle let her eyes wander around the room. "So, I suspect if all goes well with the meeting, I'll be headed back to Dallas in about a week. I can't leave Stan to run things forever. Will you think about coming to visit?"

"I'd love to, but I'm not sure about traveling alone." After the nightmare the last trip to Dallas turned into, she wasn't sure she could handle another one already. "Not to mention, I need to spend some time with Claudine and Sookie to find out more about all that."

"Don't worry, it's an open invite. You can take your time, and come whenever you please. The invite is open to Alec as well, so I don't think you need to be concerned about traveling solo."

As if she'd summoned him to their table, the vampire in question appeared by their table with fresh bloods for each of them. "It would be my pleasure to accompany Jessica whenever she wishes to visit."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Slipping the DVD in, Sookie turned as she heard footsteps approaching the door.

"I'll get it." Eric called to her, reaching the door before he finished speaking just as the first knock sounded.

Opening the door, he smiled down at Jamie. True to form, his chef had produced quite a spread for his mate. Stepping aside, he welcomed her in.

"I wasn't sure what you would want, so I brought a few options."

The woman grinned broadly as the young telepath laughed. "By a few you mean enough to feed me for at least week, right?"

Godric peered over his mate's shoulder and looked at the spread. "Yes, that looks about right. Can't have you starving during the movie. What are we watching anyway?"

Sookie gave Jamie a quick hug as she walked her to the door. Between the chef and the head housekeeper the young fae felt as if she'd gained two mothers.

Closing the door, she turned back to her mates. In the few seconds she'd had her back turned, they'd positioned the food and beverages on the nightstands and themselves in the bed leaving room for her between them.

"Nothing special, just 'P.S. I Love You'. You've probably both seen it already." The incredulous look on her Viking's face made her laugh. Godric simply shook his head and smiled as she crawled over his lap to settle in between them.

Grabbing the remote, the fae remembered she hadn't told Eric about the conversation with Pam earlier. Since he was still reeling from her movie choice, she thought she might as well add that to the mix.

"By the way, we're interviewing candidates for your replacement day person two days after we meet with The Authority."

Looking down at his mate, the Viking was clearly puzzled. "What? I haven't even started the process yet. How can we have a list of candidates already?"

She was pleased he didn't question that part about them interviewing as opposed to just him.

"I gave Pam the go ahead to start the process tonight." Suddenly feeling slightly concerned that she'd overstepped her bounds, she started to defend the decision. "We can't…"

Placing a finger gently over her mouth, Eric shook his head. "Thank you. I'm sure Pam was grateful. I should have given her clearance to proceed earlier, but my mind has been focused elsewhere."

Moving his finger, she reached up and gave him a quick kiss before reaching over him to grab the bowl of fresh berries. "Now, shhhh. The movie's starting."

Leaning closer to their mate, two of the most well-respected and feared vampires in the world settled in to watch a chick flick with their beloved mate. Hopefully word wouldn't get out.


	2. Surprises

**True Calling**

A/N: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

Thanks to my beta, OrangePlasticGummyBear! If you haven't checked out her two True Blood stories, I highly recommend then.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to review, favorite, or alert. They are all much appreciated and provide wonderful encouragement to write faster. My intention is to post once per week to avoid long delays between chapters.

**Chapter 2: Surprises**

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Flipping through the images on the screen, Sookie barely recognized parts of her ancestral home.

"I can't believe how nice it's all turning out or how fast." Alcide and several of the weres had spent the morning in Bon Temps finishing some things and taking the pictures for her.

The fae wanted to go see her old home, but she didn't even ask. With the meeting approaching that night she didn't want to cause any undue stress. Part of her also wondered how she would feel returning to the house and knowing it was no longer truly her home. Her place was now with the vampires.

She'd already questioned Eric about the cost of fixing it up given the circumstances, but he assured her that it was worth it if it made her happy. They would figure out someone to handle upkeep and possibly even live there eventually.

"You know the guys are determined to do their best work for you. It appears my crew is more loyal to you than they are to me." His tone was light, and he was smiling, but they all knew there was some truth to that statement.

"Are they all coming over when the work is done this afternoon? Jamie's been cooking up something all morning. She won't let us in the kitchen to mess it up, but knowing her we're going to need help eating it all."

As the door to the library opened, Amelia came in carrying a tray of glasses and a pitcher of iced tea. "You aren't kidding. I barely opened the door before I was shooed out, and she brought me the drinks."

The three laughed at the idea of Jamie being so secretive. Normally the chef welcomed everyone in to the kitchen no matter what she was doing.

"Well, I suppose we ought to come hungry for dinner." As if agreeing, Alcide's stomach growled and Sookie laughed. "Don't worry; we'll feed you something between now and then."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Putting the finishing touch ups on the last wall of fresh paint, Micah stood back to survey his work. Every room in the house had a fresh coat of paint. Normally they brought in subcontractors for painting, but for this house, the crew was adamant about seeing to every detail themselves.

Hearing a low growl through the open window, Micah leaned out to see what Trey was doing. The other man had just spread the last of the mulch, but was now staring in the direction of the cemetery. The other crew members must have heard his growl as well, as the four quickly appeared.

Sniffing the air, Micah understood the cause. The air smelled of unfamiliar weres in the direction of Compton's house. Quickly heading down the stairs and outside, he stayed alert to any sounds.

The other five joined him by the front steps as he emerged. "Anybody recognize the scent?"

Shaking heads indicated not. The lack of recognition was disconcerting. Between the six of them they knew every were and most other shifters in the entire state. An unknown scent likely meant unexpected company and coming from the Compton estate that likely meant trouble.

"I think we're pretty much finished here. You guys clean up, Ben and I will make a quick scouting run." Micah didn't want to head to Shreveport without knowing more.

Fifteen minutes later the house was locked up, and the weres were headed to the Northman estate with the Mississippi license plate number of the SUV that had been sitting in front of Bill's house. Based on scents and tracks, there were two visitors prowling around.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Lucas's voice screaming "Cannon ball!" was the only warning Sookie and Amelia got; seconds before they were covered in a spray of water from the pool. They should have known trying to layout next to a pool full of weres wasn't a good idea.

Flipping onto her back, the fae gave her friend an evil grin as they watched Alcide run for the water. As he lept into the air, Sookie locked onto him with her mind.

It took the were a moment to register that he was hovering over the water but not dropping.

"Sook, please let me down. I promise we'll stop getting you wet." This was the first time the fae had used her telekinesis on him, and he had to admit it freaked him out even though he was glad to see her practicing.

"Oh, I'll let you down." Turning to the witch beside her, Sookie laughed. "Where do you think I should put him?"

Looking around the rather large lawn surrounding them, Amelia grinned as she responded silently. _"How about that nice tall oak tree? It looks like it could support his weight."_

A slight dip of her head acknowledged she liked that plan even as she began floating Alcide through the air toward the tree.

"Sookie, please. We didn't mean to get you wet." The were's eyes were slightly panicked. He knew she wouldn't really hurt him, but he also wasn't sure what she was going to do to him. His eyes got wider as she lifted him further into the air. Locked in position as he was, he felt the tree branches before he saw them.

Hovering the were's body a few inches above a sturdy looking branch high in the tree, the telepath finally dropped her hold on him.

"That'll teach you to interrupt our sunbathing." The sound of a now familiar laugh made her turn toward the house. "Claudine, we weren't sure if you'd make it today."

The full-blooded fae made her way to give the two women a hug before stretching out in an empty lounge chair. "Neither was I, but Niall and I were able to wrap things up quickly. He'll be stopping by in a couple days to bring Jessica some faerie blood and see how you are doing."

"I thought we might see him after the meeting. I'm sure he's curious what The Authority wants with us, unless he already knows."

Claudine shook her head. "No, I don't believe he knows. Although I'm sure he has his theories. In the meantime, my brother will be coming by shortly. I thought you might like to meet another one of your relatives."

The telepath looked a bit surprised. "I didn't know you had a brother. Does he live on this side as well, or is he over in the other realm?"

"Claude stays on this side. We are co-owners of a club in Shreveport, though he handles all the hands-on portion of the business."

Amelia and Sookie both conceded that if the brother looked anything like Claudine he was probably quite a draw on ladies' night.

"Anyway, I thought he and I might spend some time with Jessica this evening while you are tied up with the meeting. I'm sure she has plenty of questions."

The other two women agreed that was a good plan before all three settled back to soak up the sun while chatting. The telepath let Claudine know about the surprise visitors in Bon Temp. Hearing the news, the full fae looked to Micah.

"We don't know much else yet, but I'm sure Eric or the magister will be able to trace the plates and find out more."

Knowing there was little else that could be done at present, Claudine settled back. The idea of another threat didn't please her, but Niall had warned her to expect it.

Hearing footsteps, Sookie cracked one eye open and saw Alcide approaching in the direction of the tree. Feeling his eyes on her, he held up his hands in a show of surrender.

Assured the weres would behave, the fae closed her eyes and relaxed. She may have to face the most powerful vampires in the room tonight via video conference, but at least she would do it with a nice tan.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Shortly before sunset, Sookie climbed onto the foot of the bed tucking her legs underneath her. She'd debated meeting her vampires in the dining room with everyone else, but the opportunity to spend even a few moments alone with them was too much to resist.

As usual, Godric was the first to wake. Immediately sensing her presence, he used his vampire speed to sit up, grab her, and pull her back down on the bed beside him.

Nuzzling her ear, the fae nearly giggled as he almost sounded like he was purring. "Well, good evening to you too." Pressing her body firmly against his, she turned her head and gave him a welcoming kiss.

Engrossed in the kiss with the ancient vampire, she didn't realize the Viking was awake until she felt his lips pressed against her exposed throat.

"Hello there, lover."

With a final quick peck for Godric, she turned to face her other mate. The older vampire casually rested his hand on her hip as his childe embraced their mate. It was probably a good thing Eric interrupted before he got carried away; there was no time to truly appreciate their delectable mate before the meeting.

Hearing his thoughts, Sookie broke free from Eric's embrace. "You're right. We better get ready and meet the others." The three climbed out of the bed and started getting ready as she continued talking. "Jamie is holding dinner until I rejoin them in the dining room, and the pack wants to talk to you about a couple of unknown weres that were snooping around Bill's place this morning."

This announcement caused both vampires to freeze, heads snapping toward their mate. Unfortunately for the Viking, the loss of attention to getting dressed caused him to get his leg tangled in his pants, and he toppled to the ground.

The telepath was so surprised to see him sitting rather dazed on the floor that it took her a second to erupt in laughter. At his rather offended look, she choked out, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, but I've never seen a vampire have an uncoordinated moment."

As he regained his footing, she approached and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't be mad. It makes me feel a bit better about my moments of human klutziness."

Wanting nothing more than to forget his little display, he kissed the top of her head. "What do you know about the weres?"

Happy to let him forget, for the time being, she shrugged her shoulders. "Not much. Micah said there was a vehicle with Mississippi plates and the scent of two weres. They didn't stick around long since they're still trying to keep a low profile until we know more about what's going on with The Authority and Sophie-Anne. They brought the plate number back with them though."

The pair of vampires nodded their heads. Moments later the trio stood in front of the large mirror in the bathroom.

"I do believe we've outdone ourselves." The Viking smirked at their reflection. Dressed in light grey, flat front slacks with a black buttoned dress shirt that looked like it was tailored to fit, his impressive figure was clear.

His maker snickered at his thoughts. Although he had to admit, his childe was right. In his charcoal slacks and pale blue dress shirt, he looked less intimidating than Eric but still exuded a certain authority.

"Really, are you two done eye fucking yourselves?" Her thoughts betrayed her words as she pictured exactly what'd she'd like to be doing with her mates.

With a final glance in the mirror, she straightened her simple, red sheath dress and strode toward the bedroom door. The pair was bound to follow eventually.

As expected, they caught up with her as she stepped through the door. Taking their places beside her, they each offered an arm, which she willingly accepted.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Standing behind his seat at the head of the formal dining room table, Eric shook his head. "I must say, when I bought a table that seated twenty I never thought to see it completely filled."

Lucas glanced at the empty seat across from him, but before he could mention it, Thomas opened the door.

Seeing the final expected member of their party, the Viking smiled. "Demetri, I was starting to wonder if you would make it before we started." Gesturing toward the only remaining seat, he waited for the magister to make his way to the seat.

"I had intended to be here a bit earlier, but getting the equipment loaded up took longer than expected. I do hope you weren't making everyone wait on me."

Sitting to the right of the magister, Alcide snickered. "No, those three just decided to grace us with their presence." Adding a wink in Sookie's direction, the were's laugh was soon joined by the rest of the party.

"I must say, Eric, you do keep eclectic company. What do we have here, three fae, a witch, nine weres, and seven vampires?"

Amelia looked a bit startled that he'd recognized her so quickly.

"No need to be alarmed, miss. Alcide mentioned something when we were at Fangtasia last night." Looking toward the head of the table, the vampire added. "I do hope everyone here understands I am friend, not foe."

The Viking nodded at him. "Indeed, we do. Though I believe for some, it may take some time to fully grasp that idea. After all, we've only known you had an actual first name for a few days now."

"Fair enough." Further conversation was halted when the doors to the kitchen were opened, to reveal Jamie and Elizabeth each pushing a serving cart.

Before anyone could ask, the chef spoke up. "Pardon us, Mr. Northman, but as you may have heard I've spent the vast majority of the day preparing this evening's meal. I know everyone is unsure of what the rest of this evening brings, so I wanted to have at least one meal with everyone together to celebrate Ms. Sookie's addition to the household and all the new family that seems to have come with her."

The fae in question rose quickly and embraced the older woman. "Thank you."

Ushering Sookie back to her seat, Jamie laughed. "I suppose we better get started before the wolves tear apart my kitchen in search of food."

Without further delay, Elizabeth started filling glasses; blood for the vampires, wine and water for the others. Meanwhile, Jamie began placing huge platters of food across the table.

"I do believe you've outdone yourself, my dear." Although he had no appetite for human food, it was impossible for Eric not to notice the gleeful expressions on the faces those that still ate.

An hour later, even the weres had to admit they were completely full after the wonderful meal and dessert.

Looking toward Sookie, Micah knew it was time to fill the vampires in on the unexpected visitors in Bon Temps when she nodded at him.

"Mr. Northman," he began but was quickly interrupted.

"Please, while in our home call me Eric. That goes for all of you."

Giving a curt nod, the were started again. "Eric, I imagine Ms. Sookie let you know that we noticed some unfamiliar weres prowling around the Compton house this morning."

Of the vampires, only Godric and Eric were aware of this fact. The other five shifted in their seats to give their full attention to the were. A few low growls were heard, the fanged crowd was not pleased with this revelation.

"Trey caught their scent while finishing the landscaping at the house. A couple of us headed through the cemetery for some preliminary recon. There was a silver SUV with Mississippi plates in front of the house."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a slip of paper that contained the plate number and details of the car's make, model, and VIN number.

Demetri reached for the paper, throwing a quick glance in Eric's direction. "If you don't mind, I can have the information run without raising any suspicions. A few of the local law enforcement have come to see me as one of their crowd." Getting a nod of consent, he noted. "I'll make the call before we meet with The Authority."

With that resolved, Micah resumed the story. "We made a cursory sweep around the house, careful to avoid making contact with the intruders. Based on scents we have two weres unknown to any of our pack. They'd busted open Compton's back door, so whatever they're after it must be tied to him somehow."

The room fell silent as everyone contemplated the possible meaning of this latest development.

Alcide was the first to break the silence. "What is the likelihood that the alliance the 'berts alluded to last night is with Mississippi? I've never met Russell Edgington, but from what I've heard he's a bit on the unstable side."

Godric, Eric, and Demetri all looked straight at him. The hint of alarm in their eyes was enough to make Alcide hope he was wrong.

"A bit on the unstable side is a gross understatement when it comes to him. Though we've been unable to confirm it, there is rumor that he keeps the local were pack high on his blood in order to control them. If that is the alliance Sophie-Anne seeks to make they must be stopped." The magister shuddered to think what chaos those two would be capable of creating.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Quickly completing the video conference setup in the library, Demetri pushed a few buttons and the screen in front of them showed a dark room with three shadowed figures behind a screen.

Though they'd been prepared that the Authority was only ever seen by an elite group, the image was still a bit unnerving. Sookie pictured a scene with a criminal being watched through one-way glass in an interrogation room.

Wasting no time, a voice began the meeting. "Godric, Eric good to see you both still undead. I assume the young woman with you is the mate we've heard so many good things about from the magister."

Knowing he was expected to respond as the most senior, the ancient vampire took an unnecessary breath. "Yes, I humbly present Ms. Sookie Stackhouse our bonded mate." He'd save the bit about her being a faerie for later.

"A pleasure, we're sure. Now, we'd like to discuss your decision to leave your post as sheriff of area nine." The voice was the same as before.

The tone of the vampire speaking gave no indication of what would come next, and the inability to see them due to the screen they were behind didn't help. Talk about the ultimate poker face, a black screen would provide no clues.

"Can you tell us why you felt the need to step down?" This came from a different, decidedly feminine voice.

Sookie and Eric both mentally warned against revealing his true reason until they could get a better idea what The Authority was after. Heeding their advice, he answered carefully.

"Ms. Flanagan was clearly out for someone's head. Rather than leave my area in a complete upheaval I believed it prudent to proactively offer myself, thus allowing my second in command to take over."

Even through the video conference, the Viking and his maker clearly heard the low hisses emanating from those gathered on the other side.

Another female voice sounded rather irate. "We told her to handle the situation; not let one of the most experienced and respected vampires on the planet relinquish his position to satisfy her ego and need for a power trip."

After a moment of heated whispers that the participants in Shreveport were unable to clearly understand, they were quite curious what would happen next. They knew from the magister that Nan was not in great standing with the Authority, but they had not expected that dirty laundry to be aired in their presence.

"Oh to hell with the secrecy," the irritated voice of the first female exclaimed as the screen blocking them from view was shoved away and the room brightened.

Sookie gasped at the site on the video screen before letting a small giggle escape. Unsure of what the response would be to their mate laughing at the sight of the most feared vampires on the planet, although they were struggling not to laugh themselves, Eric and Godric both froze.

"Both of you relax. We aren't going to harm her for one giggle." Straightening in her seat, obviously having been the one to remove the screen, a petite female with chestnut hair spoke. "Though we are curious about her response, she is the first non-vampire to see us with the awareness of who we are. Would you mind sharing the reason for your reaction, Ms. Stackhouse?"

Cautiously looking to each of her mates, Sookie steeled herself for The Authority's response as she began her explanation. "I suppose you aren't what I imagined. I'm truly sorry, I meant no disrespect."

This time, a tall and statuesque woman with flaming red hair falling freely over her shoulders spoke. "It is clear you did not mean to offend us. We promise, even if the explanation is offensive we will do our best not to take it personally."

Realizing they weren't going to move on until she answered, the fae relented. "I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but I expected three ancient looking vampires in an equally ancient Italian stronghold."

"Ah, you must be a Twilight fan," the three made the connection immediately though only the male spoke.

"I try not to admit it, especially knowing that my vampires make the fictional ones look like a bunch of pansies, but it's so easy to get sucked in."

All the vampires present snickered at the word sucked. They may have had thousands of years between them, but they could appreciate a little vampire humor.

The smaller female responded this time. "It's okay; I'm ashamed to admit we are quite taken with them here as well. They're so off base from reality that it's positively enthralling. Are you quite disappointed that we aren't more Volturi-esque?" The air quotes she used threatened to send Sookie into another fit of giggles.

"No ma'am. It was just surprising to see three very stylish looking vampires in what appears to be a very modern setting. Even more so that you aren't all men, but please I mean no disrespect."

Silently wishing the filter on her mouth hadn't stopped working during what could be one of the most important meetings of her existence, she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"No worries, we understand our appearance does not often mesh with what people expect from the ruling international leaders of vampires. That is why we typically remain hidden and only have direct contact with a few select members of our world. With our anonymity we are free to go about our lives outside of our office with little fanfare."

All three vampires in the room with Sookie were quite astounded by how quickly The Authority seemed to become enthralled with the young telepath. Truly, she did have a gift for drawing the supernatural to her.

Exchanging looks with her colleagues, the red head stared straight through the camera. Clearly, it was time to get to business. "Now, we can return to lighter matters later. First, we have a proposal for the three of you."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

A/N: Please take a moment to review if you enjoyed. Also, as I wrap up writing chapter four, I'd greatly appreciate feedback on if you are interested in seeing some lemons for Jessica/Alec and possibly even Alcide/Amelia as the story progresses or if you'd prefer the lemons to be only G/S/E. Feel free to leave comments in reviews or send via private message.


	3. Negotiations

**True Calling**

A/N: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

Thanks to my beta, OrangePlasticGummyBear! If you haven't checked out her two True Blood stories, I highly recommend then.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to review, favorite, or alert. Reviews truly make my day! I will be on vacation next week, so chapter four likely won't go up until 6/17.

**Chapter 3: Negotiations**

Leaning against the sitting room window, Jessica caught sight of Amelia watching the weres playing an impromptu football game in the yard. The supes' night vision would have allowed them to play in full dark, but they'd relented and turned a few lights on so the witch could see.

A big part of her was glad Alec, Isabelle, and Pam had opted to stay inside with her and the two faeries. She liked Claudine and was sure that Claude was every bit as nice, but she still hadn't quite gotten used to the idea that she was part fae as well.

As Eric and the others had filed out to start their meeting with The Authority, Claudine caught her attention and said she and her brother wanted to spend some time with her this evening. She hoped that meant they were going to tell her more about what it meant to be a vampire faerie hybrid.

Her ears caught the nearly imperceptible sound of footsteps approaching behind her. Training with Alcide and Alec was proving her senses were actually among the keenest in the group. She sighed as she recognized the gait seconds before a pair of long arms wrapped around her, pulling her into Alec's chest.

Bending his head to her ear, he whispered. "Are you nervous?"

A slight bob of her head confirmed his suspicion. "Remember, you're stronger than you think, and you aren't alone. No matter what questions come up, no matter what is uncovered, no matter what you need to do, you have your family here, and you have me."

Even having grown up with both her parents and a sister, Jessica knew deep down that this new family would go further to protect her than her human family ever dreamed of.

Turning her head as much as his grip allowed, she kissed him on the tip of his nose. "That means a lot. I feel like I should trust Claudine, but I just started holding my own as a vampire so throwing more supernatural crap in is just a lot to swallow."

Tugging her away from the window, Alec kept her tucked close to his body with his arm securely around her. "Well, let's see if we can't take it one bite at a time."

The knight smiled as his words gained him the quiet laugh and small smile he'd hoped for.

Watching the pair approach, Claudine was struck with how well suited they were. Although he was perfectly capable of protecting the younger vampire he was doing a splendid job of making her feel safe while giving her the confidence to stand on her own two feet.

Claude finally broke the silence in the room. "I know you guys don't really know me yet since I just crashed the party today, but I'm Claudine's twin."

Pam's sharp laugh made him pause. "Really? We never would have guessed." Everyone else in the room chuckled at the vampire's comment.

Isabelle stopped laughing when she noticed Claude's slightly alarmed expression. "Don't worry. She won't bite unless provoked."

As Jessica and Alec settled into the couch beside the sheriff, the knight grinned at the two females beside him. "Perhaps we should get back to why Claude joined us for the evening before Pam scares him off."

Winking at the dark haired vampire, the fae resumed his introduction. "Don't worry, I don't scare that easily. As I was saying, we thought we'd spend a bit of timing this evening answering questions about Niall's proposal to strengthen her fae characteristics and any other questions that might be floating around."

Leaning back in his chair, he tried to appear as relaxed as his sister. Claude had been in the human realm for many years, but had shied away from the level of involvement Claudine had with the vampires.

Everyone sat quietly for a moment as Jessica considered what she wanted to know first. "Are there others like me?"

"I have met only one other faerie that was turned. Unfortunately, it was many years ago and he met a rather untimely end after an argument with his maker." Claudine looked apologetic knowing that the young vampire hoped to meet another like her.

"Did he do anything to increase his faerie essence?" She was quite curious if Niall's idea had ever been tested.

"No. Unfortunately, he refused Niall's offer. There is speculation in the other realm that his decision led to his ultimate demise. He was something of an awkward vampire; refusing to accept his otherness he simply hid himself away."

Leaning closer into Alec, the young vampire looked thoughtful. "Why did he refuse?"

"No one is entirely sure, though I suspect it was simply fear of the unknown. Possibly fear of making himself even more different than he already was." Pausing, Claudine leaned forward in her chair. "Does his fear concern you?"

"Honestly, a few weeks ago it would have petrified me. I was so unsure of my place I wouldn't have wanted to make myself different. Now, the idea makes me nervous, but I feel like embracing what I am makes more sense than hiding."

Taking the conversation more seriously than Claude would have expected, Pam decided to chime in. "Care to take some advice from your sister?" She paused to give Jessica a chance to nod. "Grab life by the horns, and make it your bitch. This family doesn't back down."

Her smile told Jessica that her words were meant as encouragement.

"What exactly is Niall's proposal?" Alec wanted to steer the conversation away from making a decision and more toward getting all the information.

"Extended exposure to pure faerie blood. Dr. Ludwig will collect several doses of Niall's blood for Jessica to consume over time. The assumption is the steady infusion of fae blood will cause her dormant fae characteristics to surface similar to how the vampire blood worked to enhance Sookie's."

The explanation seemed to make sense, but the knight pressed for more information. "What of the side effects and potential risk to her?"

"As far as we know, the only side effect should be the same as it is with any vampire. She'll likely end up feeling intoxicated at least for the first few doses. After that there is hope she will build a tolerance. Regardless, by ingesting one dose at a time she can discontinue if any undesirable effects surfaced."

Jessica was relieved that it didn't sound like there was a lot of risk involved. Still, she wanted time to consider.

"Listen, I know everyone's anxious to see what happens, but I'd like to take some time to think about it and talk through it with the others."

Claudine gave a genuine smile. She was glad the young vampire was willing to consider taking the step now that they were discussing it more seriously. The fae were quite curious what latent gifts she might have.

"That sounds like a good plan. You don't need to feel rushed to make your decision. I'm sure I'll be around a great deal. Claude and Niall are likely to show up from time to time as well, so you just need to let us know when you've decided."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

The door to Andre's room opened just as he was emerging from his closet.

"Why are you still here? I thought you were leaving at first dark." Sophie-Anne started in as the door slammed shut behind her.

"The sun has been down for less than five minutes. I just got dressed and was getting ready to grab my bag and head out."

Honestly, time away from her was an appealing prospect. If things panned out this trip could be worth every ounce of trouble.

"Good, we need to handle this quickly. I can't move forward with my plans until I have the telepath."

Andre was tired of the plans she often threw in his face, but never told him.

"Have you ever considered that I could aide in these plans if you would allow it?" His tone was more irritated than he intended, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Of course you would and you are by bringing me the telepath. Then my plans with Russell will fall right into place." The queen strolled around his room, looking over the meager decorations he chose to keep.

She didn't seem willing to elaborate, but the only Russell he knew was the King of Mississippi and one of the most eccentric and unstable vampires around. Whatever the plan was, it wasn't going to be pretty.

As he lifted his bag onto his shoulder, Sophie-Anne rushed to block his exit.

"This better be quick. Until it's done, I expect reports at least twice per night. Don't fuck this up for me."

Her demands were going too far. It was his existence on the line with this foolish mission.

"I can't imagine Northman is going to leave the girl unattended, so this is going to take time, and you know if he discovers I'm there he'll have eyes on me. I'll check in when I'm able, but I seriously doubt it will be twice a night. I agreed to this suicide mission, but you need to let me handle it."

The red-headed vampire glared at him as he stepped around her, but made no further response. Less than a minute later, he was behind the wheel of his black Mercedes.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Sitting in the high backed leather chair behind the large desk in his office, Russell quickly dialed the phone and waited for it to begin ringing.

After three rings, a voice finally came on the line. "Mr. Edgington, I've been waiting for your call."

The vampire's expression was annoyed. "Cleary not that anxiously or you would have answered faster."

"I apologize, sir. I was driving and had to dig the phone out of my pocket." The were's voice faltered at the end as he realized his explanation gave away his lack of preparedness for the call.

"You did manage to answer, so now perhaps you'll provide an update rather than waste my time." The King of Mississippi grew impatient.

"We did as you instructed and checked out the Compton residence. Based on the collection of mail and state of the house; it appears that Mr. Compton has not been there for some time."

Leaning back in his chair, Russell contemplated what this meant. The queen had told him Compton was procuring something special for him to sweeten the deal for their alliance. If he'd gone missing, what did this mean for his project?

"Did you find anything of interest in his residence?"

The response came after a brief silence. "I think so. We found a file in his office. Not sure what it means, but it contained a bunch of information on a human girl named Sookie Stackhouse."

The king wondered what was so special about a human that Compton would be checking up on her. He was willing to bet the girl factored into Sophie-Anne's scheme somehow.

When he offered no reply, the were spoke again. "We did what you asked of us. Can we come back to Jackson now?"

Russell shook his head at the other man's impatience. "Not yet. I want you to dig around and see what you can find about this girl. Try not to be obvious, but find out what's so special about her. There must be a reason for the attention."

"But that wasn't part of the original agreement. We were just supposed to check out the Compton place. You said nothing about chasing down anyone else."

Had the were been in his office, the king's expression would likely have killed any argument. Since he was fortunate enough to be three hundred miles away the king could do little to him.

"I suggest you remember who is paying you and who provides your fix. If you want our arrangement to continue you'll do exactly as I request and do it well." His tone made it clear this was not negotiable.

"Yes, sir."

Saying nothing else, the vampire disconnected the call. Having a pack of weres in his employee and under his control was extraordinarily useful at times. Other times, he questioned the intelligence of relying on a bunch of overgrown fur balls.

Spinning his chair so he could look through the large windows at the huge manicured lawn, Russell debated what this new information might mean. He knew Sophie-Anne was anxious to make an alliance with him. In truth, he was rather anxious for the same though he suspected their motivation might be different.

Regardless, he was much older than the queen was and would likely have no issue bringing her to heel. Though he planned to give her a long enough leash at the moment so see what she was capable of doing.

Deciding it was time to call his future bride; he turned back to his desk and hit the buttons. Unlike the were, Sophie-Anne had the sense to answer on the first ring.

"Why Russell, I wasn't expecting to hear from you this evening. I do hope everything is okay." He wasn't convinced she was entirely sincere.

"Do I need a reason to call my fiancée? I believe custom dictates I should do so on a regular basis or you might come to believe I'm neglecting you."

The queen laughed at his joking tone for moment before replying. "Tis true. I would hate to be the neglected bride before we've even married. Though I'll venture to guess you didn't just call to make me feel better. Is all well in Mississippi?"

"Of course it is, my dear. No need to fret over the goings on in my kingdom. I hadn't heard from you lately and wanted to see how things are faring in Louisiana. After all, it would be nice to set a date for our nuptials once you've wrapped up the surprise you were working on for me."

The line was quiet for a moment before the queen responded. "Everything is going wonderfully here. Bill is being a bit slow in his procurement of your wedding gift, but I sent Andre this evening to help hurry things along."

The king suspected she was being less than forthcoming, but chose to let it slide. Soon enough he would know what she was up to.

"Do let me know if you are in need of assistance. I'd be more than happy to send a few trusted members of my guard should you find you could use the extra hands." It would be a convenient way to gather more intelligence on her actions.

"That's a very kind offer, but I have it all under control."

She needed to learn to school her voice better when she lied to him. "In that case, I'll wait to hear from you. I do look forward to setting a date."

Disconnecting the call, the king debated his next step. Perhaps he would send someone with an early bride gift. Even if they couldn't convince her to let them stay until she came to Mississippi, it would provide him an updated assessment of the situation.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

"What kind of proposal would that be?" Godric asked cautiously. Declining an offer of any kind from The Authority was not generally considered a wise move, so he hoped it was nothing they would feel the need to refuse outright.

"Before we get into the specifics, we have a question for you. Is there anything we should know about your mate?"

Based on Demetri's earlier advice, the trio had already agreed they would be honest about Sookie's nature and connections. The two vampires paused before responding, taking a second to assess their mate's thoughts and feelings. Quickly realizing she had no qualms about staying their planned course, Godric answered the question.

"Yes, there is. Sookie is no mere human. She is the great-granddaughter of the King of the Fae, Niall Brigant." He noticed that although they looked pleased with this information, none of The Authority looked surprised. "Our mate has always had telepathic abilities with humans, but her abilities have increased dramatically since our bond was completed."

The petite female finally broke the silence on their side. "This is most excellent." She looked to her peers before continuing in a rather excited voice. "In all honesty, we mustn't reveal our source, though I assure you it was not Demetri, but we've known of your mate for some time."

Before she could keep going, the male interrupted. "I believe the point my sister is trying to make is that we are greatly pleased that you gave this information willingly. Your honesty confirms our belief that we are right in making our proposal."

Sookie smiled at them through the camera, glad that the grand reveal about her turned out less than climactic. Seconds later, a small frown made its way onto her face as she considered that while The Authority seemed to know a great deal about them, she and her mates didn't even know their names. As quickly as the thought crossed her mind, she pushed it aside. It should be enough that they were among the select few to actually see the three.

"Ms. Stackhouse," the red head spoke. "Why did you look displeased a second ago?"

Not wanting to cause any upset, Sookie shook her head. "Please, call me Sookie. It was nothing important."

The three arched brows on the screen told her they were not ready to accept her answer even before the male spoke.

"Though there may be things we cannot tell you without putting either us or your family at risk, we will try to be as honest as possible with you. Now please, tell us what disturbs you?"

Godric and Eric both knew what her question was and silently encouraged her to ask.

"_The worst they can do is either refuse to answer or give false names. It would be nice to have something to call them other than One, Two, and Three." _As usual, the ancient vampire's advice made sense.

Relenting, the young fae finally asked. "I'm just curious what your names are. You know so much about us, but we don't even know what to call you other than the collective of The Authority." Everyone on both sides of the video conference laughed at her use of air quotes.

Again, the smaller female seemed most eager to respond. "Well, that does seem a fair question. As we hope to speak with you often in coming months it would be rather awkward to have nothing to call us. Though we have had many aliases over the years, I believe our true names are deserved on this occasion. My name is Daphne."

Sookie smiled, she thought the name suited the vampire quite well.

"I am Catlyn." Again the named seemed appropriate for the vampire with the fiery red hair. Sookie guessed she came from Celtic blood. Probably very old Celtic blood since she was part of the ruling party.

"Unlike my sisters, I was not graced with a given name that was easily kept over the years. I was born Astinos, but many years ago opted to take the name Austin. It causes fewer questions."

The fae gave a genuine smile at now having names to go with her new acquaintances. Somehow these extraordinarily powerful vampires seemed so much less dangerous when they weren't nameless beings hidden behind a screen. She supposed that proved their reasoning for keeping their identities cloaked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you're busy, so I'll try not to cause any other delays so you can explain the proposal." Folding her hands neatly in her lap, she was determined not to cause any more interruptions while they explained what they wanted.

"_Don't worry, little one. They seem to be enjoying your diversions. Never in a million years would I have imagined The Authority like this, but I have to say it actually makes following their rule more palatable for them to seem so much like us."_

"_You're right. A thousand years under their rule and this was the last thing I expected, but I find I like them for it. Let's just hope our goodwill is not misplaced."_

"_Alright, you two hush or I'll never manage to be quiet. Do wish we were in person so I could hear the thinking behind this offer of theirs."_

Thankfully, the three kept their features relaxed throughout the silent exchange as The Authority seemed to regroup to continue.

Daphne laughed as she spoke. "Yes, I suppose it is taking longer to get to the point than we anticipated." Clearly she didn't view the delay as an issue. "Now, we have been aware of some growing issues with vampire leadership. Though we have been reviewing possible courses of action your resignation and recent events that came to our attention lead us to believe it is time to act."

Sookie looked cautiously between her mates. This was sounding like something rather serious. A stray thought from Eric made her curious.

After a few seconds, the Viking decided to speak up. "And you believe we can be of use to you in whatever course of action you have decided?"

Austin nodded his head. "Indeed, the success of our plan hinges on your willingness to participate. I'll not drag this out; we need to clean house and overhaul the vampire governing structure in your country. The initial attempt to let each states ruling party govern as they sit fit and report to us is simply not working. Due to our commitments across Asia and Europe we are unable to devote the time needed to the growing American vampire population."

Leaning forward in her seat, Catlyn picked up the speech. "We find ourselves in need of a counterpart to keep things under control across North and South America. What we are proposing is that Godric, Eric, and Demetri act as the governing body working in partnership with us for global alignment of objectives and strategies."

Godric and Eric both turned to look at Demetri; only to find him almost as shocked as they were.

The magister found his voice before they did. "You honor us, but I don't believe we were expecting such…" He struggled to find the right words.

"We are aware that this is unexpected. Demetri was aware we planned reform, but not of this magnitude. We have time to work out the details, and I'm sure you will want to discuss amongst yourselves before making a final decision. Though we ask this be kept quiet, we understand you will need to include the members of your assembled family in your decision."

Daphne turned towards the other two, seeming to look for a consensus on something. When they both nodded she continued. "There is one other element to the proposal; we would like Ms. Stackhouse to act as a supernatural liaison. Relationships are often strained between the various supes, and we believe her gifts will serve well to help ally those with a common goal of peaceful coexistence with each other and the humans."

Sookie and her mates were all startled by this additional request and the choice of wording. Could this be what Niall was alluding to?

"Well, it is getting close to dawn here, so we should wrap up. Why don't you discuss our proposal and think through recommendations from your side. We can regroup in a bit and iron out the details."

The telepath's face must have given away her curiosity, though she kept quiet.

"We're in Frankfurt. I can see you want to ask, but were trying to hold your tongue." Daphne winked at her.

"Might I suggest we regroup in two weeks? I believe our newly mated trio is in need of a few days for themselves."

Before he could finish Catlyn interrupted. "Why yes. I believe the two of you owe your bonded mate something equivalent to the human custom of a honeymoon before you deal with the rest of this. Let's plan to regroup in three weeks. In the meantime, do let us know if you there is anything you need from us."

As the call videoconference disconnect, the four sat staring at the now blank monitor.

"Well, that was interesting." Sookie laughed. Looking to Demetri, she raised an eyebrow. "So, anything you care to tell us?"

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

A/N: I will be on vacation next week, so chapter four likely won't go up until 6/17. In the meantime, take a moment to review and let me know if you're enjoying the sequel.


	4. Confidences

**True Calling**

A/N: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

First, I'm sorry about the longer than expected wait for this chapter. I'm blaming it on Fifty Shades. Fortunately, I've finished the trilogy and now it's back to my own story.

All your reviews and alerts are much appreciated! Please continue to drop a line and let me know what you think of the story.

As always, thank you to my beta, OrangePlasticGummyBear. If you haven't already go check out her True Blood stories.

**Chapter 4: Confidences**

Entering the sitting room, Sookie chatted with Demetri as her mates followed. Noticing the anxious looks of their family, she smiled.

"We'll tell you all about it later. First, the magister has promised a story after Jamie brings in some refreshments. "

As if on cue, the chef carried a large tray of iced tea and snacks into the room followed by Elizabeth with a tray of True Blood. Pouring a glass of iced tea and grabbing some grapes, Sookie took her customary seat between her mates and turned to face the magister.

"We're ready when you are." When asked if there was anything he cared to tell them the magister conceded he would tell his history, but asked that they wait until everyone was together so it didn't need to be repeated.

Everyone in the room was curious to hear what he said, but the vampires were dying of curiosity. They struggled to reconcile the seemingly detached and heartless magister they'd known for the last few hundred years with the one that had a name and a life before his role.

Taking a deep breath, the magister began. "I was born Demetri Kameteros. My father was a merchant in Constantinople. In a fit of rebellion, I opted for a military life rather than the relative safety of assuming the family business. I was 35 years old the day I fought under Emperor Constantine XI. It was the day..."

As his voice trailed off, the room remained silent. When he met Sookie's gaze, she gave him an encouraging smile.

"It was the day Constantinople fell. Most of the men I knew died that day. Although severely wounded, I might have survived, but in the chaos of the city falling, my body was shoved aside and forgotten. That night Johannes found me. I was barely conscious, but I remember thinking his accent was strange as he spoke and marveling that he so easily lifted me over his shoulder and carried me away."

When the magister fell silent once more, Alec's strong voice filled the room. "I know what it's like to believe you are dying a warrior's death, only to wake a few days later and realize it was much worse than that."

Jessica and Sookie both looked to the knight, curiosity plainly written on their faces. "I was a Crusader under Richard the Lionheart. We fought well after sundown one night, and when I fell, my maker whisked me away before the King could even notice."

Already knowing the story of Eric's turning, Sookie just couldn't resist. "Seriously, were any of you not turned after almost being killed in battle?"

Only the female vampires laughed and raised their hands. Isabelle finally quipped. "Only because we weren't permitted on the field of battle back when we were turned."

"Why am I not surprised?" Turning back to Demetri, she noticed he seemed to have regained the composure that was slipping moments ago. "So happened after you were turned?"

"My maker was the worst kind of vampire. He held no regard for human life or the secrecy that came with what we are. I hated my life with him, but he kept me close, and I had no idea that there were other ways to live. In 1495, after a particularly bloody and careless few months, The Authority caught up with us. Somehow, Daphne knew immediately that I was not willingly involved. When they killed him, they gave me the choice to die with my maker or live with them."

Godric remembered hearing about Johannes and his particular breed of cruelty. To him, it spoke well of The Authority that they'd saved Demetri from his maker.

"I lived with the three for many years as one of their family. Although they were all younger than I was when turned, they were so much older in this life that they became as parents to me. As things changed and more vampires crossed the ocean for the Americas, we decided I would come here and take the role of magister. Of course, we all agreed it was best to keep our relationship a secret. We had reputations to uphold and couldn't afford for those to be compromised should our relationships become public."

Everyone sat quietly contemplating what they'd learned. Surprisingly, Jessica moved first. Rising from her seat next to Alec, she approached the magister's chair laying her hand on his shoulder. When he looked up to face her, she smiled.

"I know how it feels to have a monster for a maker. I also know how it feels to find a true family when you least expect it. Rest assured, you secret will remain with us."

The entire family - vampires, were, witch, and fae all voiced their agreement. Understanding Demetri's past helped them understand why he would feel a certain loyalty to their family. It also gave them better insight into The Authority. The next hour was spent trading stories of their early vampire days.

Realizing it was getting late and there were things to discuss before she and Amelia fell asleep, Sookie finally interrupted. "I'm beginning to think we have the makings of a great reality TV show. Maybe we'll call it 'Growing Up Vampire', but that idea will have to wait. I would like to get to sleep before dawn, and I believe we need to fill everyone in on our earlier meeting."

Rising from his chair, Demetri nodded. "I believe you are right. Though I would love to stay, I have things to attend to at my office, and I imagine you would like a chance to discuss amongst yourselves before having me involved."

Godric and Eric both rose. "I hope you don't feel obligated to leave on our account." The ancient vampire didn't want the magister to feel forced out.

"Not at all, but this is an important decision, and you should be able to speak freely with your family to make it. We're all learning to trust each other quite well, but I think it best if you don't have the slightest reservation that what you say would be repeated."

Moving toward the door, Eric realized he'd forgotten something earlier. "Demetri, I meant to ask before, but amidst everything else it slipped my mind. Would you mind asking The Authority if they have a preference on whether the 'berts meet their true death or not?"

"Not a problem. I need to email them a few other things this evening and will include that. I'll let you know as soon as I get a response. I usually have something from them when I rise."

Not bothering to wait for Thomas to see him out, he headed toward the door with a small nod of his head to the Viking.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Finding a spot in the far corner of the Fangtasia parking lot, Andre quickly exited his car and headed for the door. Quickly noting the long line to enter the club, he went straight to Felicia at the door.

"I see business is booming as usual." He knew the female vampire knew his association with the queen. He assumed that while she wouldn't like him or trust him, she would also be smart enough to let him in without fuss.

"It is. I hope you aren't here to see Sheriff Northman. He had other obligations tonight, but if there's anything I can assist you with just let me know." Her glare told him she'd be perfectly pleased to stake him at the first opening.

"No, my business is with the Sheriff. I'm going to venture a guess that you don't know, or won't tell me if you do, where he is this evening." Her look confirmed his assumption. "In that case, would you be so kind as to tell me when you expect him here?"

"Two nights from now."

Giving her a curt nod, he turned to leave. There was no point in lurking around a club full of fangbangers when the Northman and his lot weren't even there. He needed to speak directly with them. At least this way, he was reasonably certain Felicia would pass the news of his presence in the area on to Eric.

Considering what to do with the rest of his evening, he debated heading over to the magister's office. It could go badly, but coming clean with why he was in the area quickly might also save him.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

As soon as they could no longer hear Demetri's car, Pam broke the silence. "So what the hell did The Authority want?" Up until the magister's little story hour she suspected they were in trouble for some reason, but after that it didn't make sense anymore.

Eric smiled fondly at his childe. "No, we aren't in trouble. Rather the opposite, they've made a rather interesting offer to us." Unsure how to explain to the others, he looked to his maker.

"It appears they are considering a bit of an overhaul of the American vampire government. As part of this they feel the need for a central leader similar to how they are able to function in their part of the world."

Everyone looked rather startled at where Godric's explanation seemed to be heading.

"Are you telling us they've asked you to take that role?" Though part of Alec was surprised they were willing to cede some of their control; he could see the wisdom in the idea. If he were in their position Eric and Godric would be at the top of his list too.

"Yes. They are giving us time to consider this and make a decision. Of course, everything you've heard tonight about them and Demetri must stay in this room."

As he paused to let his words sink in, Amelia realized something. "So, when he mentioned Daphne earlier, I take it that's one of them?"

First looking to her mates for confirmation it was okay to give the information, Sookie replied. "Yes, Daphne, Catlyn, and Austin. They are quite different than what I would have expected."

"So are you going to do it?" Isabelle asked.

"We haven't decided yet. They've given us three weeks to consider and put together our thoughts and recommendations." Smirking Eric looked down at his mate. "And basically ordered us to take our darling mate on a honeymoon."

All the women in the room grinned excitedly. They couldn't wait to hear more about that idea.

"I believe they understand that making this request of us will entail disrupting not just our lives, but yours as well. There are changes coming to leadership across the country, and I suspect that if we accept there will be an expectation that each of you will step up in some way to assist."

The room remained silent for a few moments as each person in the group considered what it might mean for them.

"Well, after this news I think I know what my decision is." Jessica turned to face Claudine. "I want to do it."

Eric's eyebrows shot up at her words. "Do what?"

Seeing his alarm at his new daughter's words, the faerie quickly sought to reassure him. "We were discussing more detail around her potential infusion of faerie blood earlier. She'd planned to speak with you about it before deciding."

The Viking looked to his adopted childe and noticed the new apprehension on her face as she clung to Alec's hand. Quickly realizing she was concerned she'd overstepped her bounds by making the decision before they spoke, he sought to encourage her.

"Jessica, it is well within your rights to make such a personal decision yourself. I trust you to do what you think is best. I know the story of the last hybrid, and I would never wish that fate on you." Carefully studying Alec's face, he could see the other vampire supported her decision, which only cemented his belief it was the best idea.

The major revelations past, Claudine and Claude decided to take their leave as the others chatted about everything from the evening. Sometime later, though she tried to hide it, Sookie's yawn drew Godric's attention.

"Little one, it appears we have worn you out. I believe we've had enough excitement for one night. We can discuss more tomorrow after the interviews." Glancing over to Pam, he looked for confirmation.

"Don't worry, we're all set." She barely contained her enthusiasm.

Following her mates to the door, the fae laughed at the other woman. "I'm not sure if I should be encouraged or terrified that you're so excited about tomorrow."

"You'll just have to wait and see." The blonde gave her an innocent smile as she left the room.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Closing the bedroom door behind them, Eric wrapped an arm around the fae and nuzzled her neck. In between kisses, he whispered in her ear. "So, lover, where would you like to go on our honeymoon?"

Pushing herself away from him, she retreated to the bed. Climbing on top, she tucked her legs underneath her. Eric and Godric watched, unsure why she was suddenly acting rather timid.

Pulling two of the chairs closer to the bed, they watched her anxiously. Putting space between them was unusual and implied something was wrong. Fortunately, she didn't make them wait long before she spoke.

"Honestly, I never gave much thought to it. I was the freak that could barely date much less think of marrying someone, so I saw no point in wasting time dreaming of a honeymoon I'd never take."

Her words made both men grimace. They hated to think of what her life had been like before. They knew she'd done her best to be happy and had many wonderful memories thanks to Gran, but the idea of their lovely little fae giving up on some of the most basic human dreams saddened them.

Scooting his chair closer to the bed, the Viking smiled up at her. "There's no time like the present to start dreaming up a plan then." He was pleased to see a smile from her.

"Little one, is there anything particular you would like to do? Do you have a passport?"

Shaking her head, Sookie confirmed she did not. "I suppose that means we have to stay in the country, doesn't it?" Her smile faded back to a small frown.

The Viking smiled at her. "Nonsense, I'll make an appointment to get one for you. I believe the closest office is in Arkansas. It may not be an exciting day trip, but it will be good for you to have one ready. I'm sure Alcide and Amelia would be glad to escort you."

The fae broke out into a fit of laughter. "More like Amelia and half the were pack. No way will those guys let me go anywhere with such a small escort."

The vampires were pleased she didn't seem upset by this idea. In reality, they'd much prefer her to have a large contingent with her when traveling.

"How about someplace with nice beaches? Preferably one with relatively short days this time of year." Sookie couldn't resist the idea of somewhere with nice beaches.

Running through a quick list of options in their heads, the two quickly made a suggestion. "Australia?"

Excitement filled their mate's eyes. "Can we? I've always wanted to go there."

"Then it's settled. We'll start scouting out some options for you to pick from then we can set a departure date as soon as we have your passport worked out."

Still smiling widely, Sookie couldn't stop a yawn from escaping. As soon as the vampires saw it, they began ushering her to get ready for bed. A few minutes later, she was contentedly tucked into bed with Godric curled behind her.

Before slipping out the door, Eric spoke quietly. "I'll return as soon as I some info pulled together for the trip."

The ancient vampire simply nodded and pulled the very sleepy fae closer to him.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Venturing past the library on the way to Jessica's room, Alec heard Eric muttering something about 'stupid airlines'. Knocking on the door, he paused until hearing the Viking acknowledge him.

"Alec, is everything okay?" Pushing back from his laptop, the sheriff looked curious.

"As far as I know it is. I was on the way to Jess' room when I heard you in here." Approaching the other vampire, he took a seat in the chair across from him.

Setting his laptop to the side, Eric eyed the knight. "Why do I feel like this is the part where I should ask you what your intentions are with my daughter?" The seriousness of his voice was softened by his smirk.

"I thought that custom fell by the wayside years ago; however, I'm not opposed to answering. Actually, I've been hoping for an opportunity to speak with you."

Surprised by the knight's seriousness, Eric sat up straighter and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"How did you know Sookie was your mate?"

Not expecting those words, the Viking stared at his long-time friend for a while. "When I realized she was the first person, aside from Godric and Pamela, whose well-being and happiness meant more to me than my own. Why?"

Leaning back into his chair, the dark haired vampire met Eric's stare. "You know I've never found my mate, right?" The Viking nodded. "I've been with a fair number of women, both human and vampire, over my years, but until recently have never cared for any of them. Now, in such a short period I find myself quite willing to do anything to keep two safe and ready to do absolutely anything for one of them."

Contemplating the other man's words, Eric was at first confused by the 'two', but quickly figured it out. "I assume you mean Sookie as the second that you would protect?"

"You assume correctly. Jessica, of course, is the other."

"Have you exchanged blood with her yet?" He suspected Alec was correct, but the blood exchange would confirm it.

Alec uncharacteristically fidgeted in his chair. "No. You know her circumstances are unique. I'm trying to let her set the pace with things. I want her to feel like she has a choice; not that she's been sucked into something by some supernatural decree."

"While I appreciate your honorable intentions, I would suggest you talk to her. You can make it clear that nothing needs to happen yet, but keeping a secret like that when she already feels like Bill did nothing but keep her in the dark may upset her more than a supernatural decree."

Seeing the logic in Eric's suggestion, Alec quickly rose from his chair. "Thanks! I'll let you know how it goes; provided she doesn't send me packing."

The Viking's laughter was somewhat reassuring. At least his oldest friend didn't find the idea of Jessica being his mate ludicrous. Hopefully, the young vampire would react equally well.

Just before he closed the door behind him, he heard Eric's voice. "And Alec, remember something. Just because you're the closest thing I have to a brother doesn't mean I won't kill you if you hurt her."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Resting her head on her were's bare stomach, Amelia enjoyed the heat radiating against her neck. "I swear this is almost as good as sitting in a hot tub."

When his hand grazed her naked ribs, she squirmed. "Hey, no tickling." Reluctantly sitting up, she leaned against his side and watched him.

"I wasn't trying to tickle you." Clasping her hand in his much larger one, he looked fondly at the witch. "What do you think you'll do if those three follow through with The Authority's proposition?" Part of him was afraid to ask and hear that she was headed back home. "I'm sure they'd love to have a badass witch as part of their entourage. After all, you're one of the strongest women I've ever known, and coming from a wolf pack, that's saying something."

Staring into his deep brown eyes, Amelia struggled to find her voice. "Thank you." His faith in her meant a lot. "I'm not entirely sure what I'll do, but if they ask me to stay with them I will. If not, I really don't know. Outside of the family I've found in this house, I have no attachments and nowhere to go. My father doesn't know what to do with a daughter that doesn't just want him to buy things for her, so going back to stay at one of his properties just doesn't appeal."

They'd talked a few times about their respective stories, so Alcide understood her perspective on the relationship with her father. After Debbie, he was very reserved about his feelings, but felt like he needed to make things clearer.

"Amelia, I know we haven't been together long, but I hope you'll consider your options with me when you decide what to do. My bachelor pad wouldn't make great accommodations for us, but I'm sure we can find something better suited if you decide to stay."

Shifting her body, she slid herself down so her head rested on his shoulder, and her leg draped over his thigh. "I'd like that. Of course, we better wait and see what's going to happen before we start looking for places to live. If they need us we have to stay."

Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he pulled the sheet up over them to make sure she wasn't chilled during the night.

"Of course we will. That's what family is for."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Knocking on the door in front of him, Alec was nervous. The Viking was right, and he knew it, but part of him worried that the idea she was his mate would make Jessica bolt. The reasonable part of him argued that a little supernatural match making wouldn't daunt a woman that amazing.

Before he could continue his inner debate, the door opened to reveal the subject of his turmoil. Knowing they weren't going anywhere for the rest of the night, she'd changed into a comfortable cotton strapless dress that skimmed just above her knees. Alec fought to keep his fangs retracted as he took in the sight of her.

Stepping to the side, the red head motioned for him to come in. He'd been in her room for some part of every night since he'd arrived at the estate, yet suddenly he felt completely awkward. They'd spent hours talking and kissing, but never discussed something so intensely personal and physically had gone no further.

Standing close enough for him to touch, her brow furrowed as she realized he wasn't his normal relaxed self.

"Alec, is everything okay?" He relaxed slightly when she used the same words as her adopted maker.

Reaching out, he took her hand, letting their fingers intertwine and led her toward the two chairs by the fireplace. Taking one of them, he pulled her into the one across from him and took hold of her other hand.

"Yes, milady, but there is something I need to speak with you about." She couldn't help the small grin when he fell back into his more formal speech.

"Okay." Jessica was determined to stay calm. Whatever he had to say it couldn't be as bad as anything Bill ever said to her.

"First, let me say how much I've enjoyed our time together. I must admit, I've never enjoyed the company of one individual as much as I have yours."

The newborn was glad she was no longer human, or she was positive her face would be crimson red at his words. "I'm glad. I've really enjoyed it too." Suddenly a thought struck her. "You aren't leaving are you? Not with everything going on."

Giving her hands a reassuring squeeze, he smiled. "No, I'm not leaving. This is my family as much as yours and I wouldn't dream of leaving when they need me. Of course, regardless of need I'd still want to stay."

"So, what did you want to talk about if it isn't that you're leaving?" She was physically relieved that he planned to stay.

"How much do you know about vampire mates?" He was surprised when she started giggling.

"A heck of a lot more than I did before Dallas, that's for sure. Isabelle explained the whole thing to me after Godric and Eric realized Sookie was their mate. Why?"

He took a deep breath. Technically, her understanding should make this conversation easier. "Have you ever felt that kind of pull to anyone?"

His words sank in, and she looked straight into his beautiful eyes. Could he really be implying what she'd been hoping? Unable to find her voice, she simply nodded at him.

Elation at what that nod implied took over. Still grasping her hands, he slipped from his chair onto his knees in front of her. Finally releasing her hands, he pulled her closer as his mouth found hers.

Her excited response told him she'd been hoping for this as well. After several minutes of kissing, her hands began to tug his shirt loose from his jeans. He knew once the clothes came off it would take all his control to stop.

Leaning back slightly, he let his hands rest on her lap. "Jess, are you sure? There's no need to rush this. I'm well aware you are inexperienced and have no wish to rush you into something you aren't ready for." Seeing the bloody tears pooling in the corner of her eyes, he pulled her to his chest. "Believe me, darling, I want to. I want to claim you as mine and make love to you, but I want you to be ready."

Her quiet voice was muffled against his shirt. "What if I disappoint you? As long as you've been alive I'm sure you've had plenty of experience, so you're going to know when I screw up."

Alec looked up to the ceiling, wishing for patience and wanting to find the right words that wouldn't upset her any further.

"Jess, you need to listen to me. Your inexperience should not make you embarrassed. Yes, I've been with a number of women over the last several hundred years, but I didn't make a habit of taking innocent maidens. Being your first will be an amazing gift."

He kept his arms wrapped tightly around her as she sat perfectly still for a few moments. When she began to squirm, he loosened his grip so she could move away if she wished. Much to his surprise and elation, she moved only enough to kiss him.

Breaking the kiss, she rested her hands on either side of his face. "I'm ready."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING


	5. Next Steps

**True Calling**

A/N: Surprise – I'm not dead and this story is still underway! Apologies for the long delay; things have been busy and Jess and Alec were being slightly difficult. I hope you enjoy!

In an effort to go ahead and get this posted, my beta hasn't seen this yet, so all mistakes are completely my own.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

**Chapter 5: Next Steps**

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

"I'm ready." The words echoed in Alec's mind. This night was turning out far better than he'd anticipated. Crushing his lips against hers, the knight poured every ounce of love and desire he felt into the kiss.

Forcing himself to release her, Alec grabbed hold of her hand and pulled the young vampire to the edge of the bed.

"Jess, do you remember what Isabelle said that night at Fangtasia?" He paused. "About our first time and the venom?"

Meeting her mate's gaze, the red-head nodded before staring down at their intertwined hands.

"It's going to make our first time slightly awkward as I'll have to stop as soon as I break your barrier to seal it. Otherwise, it will reform and we'll have to go through it again. I promise I'll do my best to make it as pleasant as possible despite the interruption."

Jessica grinned as she realized the normally calm and poised man beside her was starting to ramble nervously.

Squeezing his hand, she tried to keep the laughter from her voice. "Alec, it's okay. I've heard the first time tends to suck anyway."

His laughter at her choice of words made her smile. He finally managed to choke out a response. "Especially with a vampire."

His words sent them both into a fit of laughter. After a few moments, the pair regained their composure and the Jessica began to fidget nervously. Noticing her unease, Alec considered that the next step in the process might help them refocus the mood.

"On a more serious note how would you feel about exchanging blood?" Seeing her slightly startled expression, he quickly continued. "Eventually, I hope you'll want to complete a full bond, but for now it will help heighten our pleasure and give us each a bit of reassurance about the safety of the other. I know we're treading on new territory…"

Alec forgot what he was saying as his mate leaned toward him. Placing a quick kiss on his lips, she whispered in his ear. "Of course I want to. I was just surprised were willing to so soon."

The look in her eyes told him what she really meant. She was still surprised he wanted her. In that moment, Alec wished for a stake and a little time alone with Compton. The insecurity he managed to ingrain in such a wonderful, vibrant woman was unthinkable.

Knowing the blood would help her understand and accept the depth of his feelings more fully, he was even more anxious to get the first exchange out of the way. Deciding actions would truly speak louder than words; Alec reached up and tangled his hair in Jessica's loose hair, pulling her closer so he could take her lips.

Her answering moan gave him an opening to invade her mouth with his tongue. Meeting it with her own, the couple was fully engrossed in the moment. Lowering his mate back onto the duvet, Alec held himself above her with one arm as he pressed his denim-covered arousal against her.

Feeling her mate push against the junction of her thighs, Jessica squirmed, instinctively trying to get the pressure where her body screamed for it.

Alec managed to remember that the goal was blood exchange before making love, so he released her lips and worked his way along her jaw to her neck. Running his tongue along her neck, he inhaled her delicious scent as he lowered his hand from her hair to run along her side.

"Jess, love…" His voice was the faintest whisper, tinged with love and desire. Understanding his unspoken question, the young vampire angled her head to give him better access to bite. Accepting her invitation, Alec gently bit his mate.

Drinking carefully to avoid causing her any pain, he continued running his hand over her thin cotton dress. One of her hands lingered in his short, brown hair as the other found its way underneath his shirt. As her nails found purchase on his back, he pushed his arousal harder against her.

Not wanting to take too much of her blood, Alec eased his fangs out of his mate's neck.

"Milady, you taste absolutely delicious." Had he not known she had a small amount of fae blood, he likely wouldn't have recognized it, but the trace of flavor was definitely there.

Kissing the fang marks as they healed on her neck, Alec leaned back so he could lift her. Sitting down on the bed, he positioned his mate to straddle his hips.

"My turn?" Staring down into his blue eyes, their intensity mesmerized Jessica. "You know, you're the first one to drink from me since I was turned."

Reaching up and giving her a quick kiss, Alec had a thought. "I probably won't be the last; I'd imagine there will be some more swapping going on amongst the family. I have to believe Eric and Godric will want to make sure we're all connected by blood for the extra sense of security."

Cocking her head slightly to the side, Jessica contemplated the idea. "I guess that makes sense." Wiggling her body against his, she grinned. "But tonight, I just want to swap with you."

"Milady, my blood and I are yours for the taking. Do you want me sitting up or lying back?"

"Like this is fine." As she answered, Alec let his head fall slightly back, giving his mate a clean shot at his neck. It had been many years since anyone fed on him and even longer since he's made an exchange. The last was with Eric and done purely as a safety precaution in a much less intimate fashion.

Tracing the contour of his neck with her fingertips, she watched as his eyes closed and his mouth fell slightly open. Feeling his throbbing erection underneath her, she marveled at the effect she clearly had on him.

Excitement pulsed through her body as she leaned forward. Mimicking his motions from earlier, she gently licked his neck before sinking her fangs into the tender flesh. The taste of his blood was amazing. It was as if she could taste all his power in his blood.

As she took several long, slow pulls from him, he slipped his hand around her hips, pulling her tighter against him. Retracting her fangs, Jessica let her hands fall to the front of his shirt and started working the buttons loose.

As the last button came away from its hole, the young vampire pushed the fabric to the side and placed her hands flat across his stomach. The muscles beneath them contracted at her touch as Alec released an audible sigh.

Letting her hands meander slowly up his body, Jessica continued to push his shirt apart. Finally reaching his shoulders, she shoved the material down pleased as he moved his arms to make it easier to remove the shirt.

Pale skin stretching taut over his muscles, his body retained the look of the sword-wielding knight he'd been when turned and she was enjoying the view in front of her. Licking her lips, she shifted her body so she could kiss his chest, slowly circling her tongue around his nipple.

"Oh, fuck. Jess, you'll unman me if you keep this up." Keeping up her careful assault on his senses, his mate raised her eyes to meet his. She was ready.

Gripping her sides to pull her up further, Alec kissed her hard as guided her to stand between his legs. Skimming his hands over the thin cotton, he gripped the sides of the dress and tugged until it gave way, releasing her breasts.

Leaning toward his mate, he captured one sweet nipple in his mouth, careful not to cut her with his fangs. Intense pleasure seemed to radiate through her body from his mouth. Afraid she would fall, she gripped his shoulder with one hand.

Continuing to tease her nipple, the knight tugged at the dress again, sliding it over her hips so it pooled on the floor around her feet. Releasing her briefly, he took in the intricately patterned yet almost non-existent underwear that was the only thing still covering her body.

Raising a questioning eyebrow, he was somewhat surprised to find she wore such delectable undergarments.

"Shopping with Pam." Three simple words explained it all.

"I'll have to thank her later." His wicked grin nearly turned her into a puddle at his feet. "I suppose I should be careful not to destroy them."

Slipping his long fingers between her skin and the lace, Alec gently removed them, leaving his mate fully bare in front of him. Using her hips, he guided her to step back so he could fully take in her beauty.

The young woman fought the urge to cover herself. She wanted her mate badly, but it was hard to throw her modesty out the window so completely.

Reaching for her hands, Alec shook his head. "Don't try to hide yourself. You are an amazingly beautiful woman and I want to see you. All of you."

Nodding her head, she watched silently as his fingers glided gently over her skin, leaving her shivering in their wake. Cupping her breasts, he squeezed gently, watching her eyes fluttered close as she sighed.

Rising from the bed, Alec embraced her fully as he shifted so her back was to the bed. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." She answered quickly.

"Good." Giving her a gentle kiss, the knight backed her toward the bed until her knees hit the edge before carefully guiding her back to lie down. Running his hands from her neck, slowly down her body his lips followed leaving what felt like a trail of fire down her body.

Kneeling in front of the bed, he pushed her thighs apart. Kissing first one thigh and then the other, the knight inhaled the intoxicating scent of his mate. Placing a hand on each thigh, he stretched his thumb gently stroking her core.

The pressure, though light, was right where the young vampire most needed it. The intense pleasure she felt at his touch caused her back to arch upward as her hands gripped the duvet underneath her. Everything she felt was completely new and foreign to her and she was beginning to think her body was going to come apart.

Wanting to bring her to a release, he ran is tongue slowly over her folds. Settling into a pattern, he could sense her getting closer to the edge. Within moments, she cried out his name as the climax took her.

Alec enjoyed her unhindered response. Nipping at one thigh, careful not to draw blood, he felt her body continue to tremble.

Rising over her, the knight kissed her gently as she smiled back at him.

"I had no idea." Her train of thought was lost as he gently sucked at her ear.

"Alas, milady, we've only just begun." He continued kissing along her jawline. "The next part may be slightly less pleasant, but I'll do my best."

Meeting his eyes, she nodded. If getting past the next part was necessary to have more of this with him, she had no qualms about continuing. "Let's just get the less than pleasant part over with."

Feeling her determination and love through the blood, Alec positioned himself carefully at her entrance. The knight closed his eyes for a moment, taking a brief mental inventory of what he needed to do, as it would require speed and coordination to make it work.

Holding her gaze, he raised his wrist to his mouth and bit, needing to capture the venom that would release as he stopped drinking.

Looking up at Alec's blue eyes, the young vampire braced herself. In mere seconds, she went from anticipation, to pain, to a slight burning sensation, to pleasure. His slow steady rhythm of penetration along with the feel of his thumb against her quickly made her forget the unpleasant part.

Wrapping her legs around his back, Jessica pulled him closer. She could understand why Isabelle had encouraged her to take the plunge. This felt fantastic.

She felt the same sensation building in her body again as her hips rose to meet his, thrust for thrust.

"Alec, please." The red-head wasn't entirely sure what she was asking for, but she felt the need building deep inside her.

Maintaining the rhythm, Alec leaned forward to claim her lips. As their tongues battled for dominance, he continued his thrusting and stroking. He could feel her tightening around him as she came to the brink again.

This time, her fingernails dug into his backside as she found her release. Freeing her lips, he plunged deep inside her twice more before yelling out with his own climax.

"Holy shit, Jess. You'll be the death of me if that happens again." The knight was far from inexperienced, but that was the single most intense orgasm of his existence.

Pushing himself so he collapsed on the bed beside his grinning mate, instead of on top of her, he pulled her against his body.

"Why are you looking so pleased, if I might ask milady?" She giggled as she felt his breath against her ear.

"I didn't disappoint you."

Shaking his head, he wrapped her in his arms and gently kissed her bare shoulder. One of these days she would fully understand just how much she could never disappoint him.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Later that morning, slipping into the library with her coffee, Sookie was ready for a little bit of peace and quiet. The night promised to be a three-ring circus of interviews, no matter how many screening criteria Pam requested be used for the candidates. People lied, all the time, and they would have no way to know there would be a telepath in the interview to catch them.

Sitting at her desk, she pushed the button to boot her computer before picking up the note she found sitting on top of a rather thick folder.

My Dearest Sookie,

I took the liberty of having a travel agent bring some information by for our upcoming trip. From their recommendations it sounds like the Gold Coast will be best, but the choice is yours. We can always plan more trips to see what we miss on this one.

I emailed you the information to get your passport. Alcide agreed to provide an escort whenever the appointment is available.

Enjoy your planning. I'll see you this evening.

Yours Always,

Eric

Fifteen minutes later, after spending more than half the time on hold, the young fae had an appointment for the following afternoon to get her passport. Considering that, she realized should find Alcide and let him know. Sensing two people outside the library door, she was saved the trip.

"Come on in." She called before they could knock.

"You know, that should really freak me out, but it doesn't." Amelia laughed as she led Alcide into the room. "We thought we'd come see if you'd had any luck getting an appointment."

"Yep, tomorrow afternoon. Does that work for you?" She looked up at the were.

"Sure thing. I'll call the boys and let them know." Pausing, he continued slightly more cautiously. "You realize you're not likely to make it out of the state with any fewer than a half dozen of the pack plus the two of us, right?"

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Sookie smiled up at him. "I guessed as much. Don't worry I won't try to ditch my security detail. I'd rather not stress Godric and Eric any more than necessary. I'm sure they'll be uneasy enough knowing I'm that far away while they're dead for the day."

Perching on the corner of the fae's desk as she listened to the conversation, Amelia caught sight of the folder full of information. "Ooohhh, do we get to look at destinations today?"

Backing toward the exit, Alcide laughed. "That's my cue to leave. You two have fun. Don't forget to eat."

Both women laughed, but Amelia managed to choke out a reply. "Never fear, I'm sure Jamie will hunt us down to feed us. You boys have fun with whatever it is you're going to do."

Grabbing the folder and pointing for Sookie to unhook the laptop and bring it with them, Amelia led the way to the sofa. Two hours later, the chef brought a tray in with lunch. As expected, she'd found them.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Shortly before sunset, the fae slipped into the bedroom where her vampires spent the day. As was custom, there was a space between them just big enough for her to settle into. No matter what position she left them in when she awoke, she always returned to find them like this.

A half hour later the trio approached the sitting room, Sookie started noticing the thoughts of the others in the room. Catching onto Alec and Jessica's the young fae smiled.

"It's about time." Her comment caught the attention of the two vampires with her and they came to a stop in the middle of the hall. Giving them a quick mental replay, she laughed at their silent responses before proceeding to join the others.

Looking up, Alec saw the three enter and gave Eric a smile and nod. He assumed the Viking would quickly put together what had happened. What he wasn't expecting was the feel of Godric's cold hand around his neck as he was lifted out of his seat.

"What the fuck did you do to my granddaughter?" His tone was deadly. The knight may have been bigger, but he was younger and knew he was no match for the ancient vampire.

Staring down at Godric, Alec realized he'd never been more terrified. He'd asked for Eric's blessing, should he have sought Godric's as well?

"She is my mate. Sheriff Northman gave his permission before I confessed as much to her and she was willing." This was not how he expected this to go.

He felt himself being lowered so he was level with the smaller vampire and fought to keep his features calm as Godric leaned close to his ear.

"If you do anything to hurt her, I'll end you before you even see me coming." The hand on his neck disappeared and he felt the older vampire embrace him. "Now relax, I've never gotten to play the overprotective father, so I wanted to have some fun. Welcome to the family."

Momentarily stunned, it took Alec a moment to register the near hysterical laughter coming from the others in the room. Even his mate, standing next to Sookie, was laughing.

Realizing that her mate was still a bit shell shocked, Jessica came over to his side. "Are you okay?"

Understanding that Sookie must have enlightened her during the confrontation, he smiled and nodded. "Yes, have to say I would have expected that from Eric, but it was much more effective from Godric."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Sitting behind his desk, Demetri was checking the documents for Sookie's rather sizeable donation to the battered women's shelter in Shreveport when his phone rang.

"Chris, what can I do for you this evening?" He wasn't expecting any visitors, so a call from the young were security guard was concerning. "I appreciate the warning. I'll let you know when he's headed back down."

Pressing the call button for his receptionist, he waited for her to appear in his doorway.

"Lucy, it appears Andre is headed up to see me. Show him in as soon as he arrives. If I push the alert button or you hear any signs of a struggle call the security desk and lock yourself in the safe room."

"Yes, sir." She gave a quick nod and disappeared back to her desk to wait for their visitor.

A brief moment later, he heard the door open and Lucy's quiet voice greeting their guest. With virtually no delay, footsteps headed toward his office.

The room opened and Lucy quickly announced Andre's arrival before returning to her desk. The other vampire stood just inside the door, anxiously watching the lawman.

"I must say, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." Demetri was exceedingly curious what brought him here. From his behavior at the trial, he hadn't really expected trouble from Andre.

"Indeed, I had no intention of returning so soon; however, I find myself in a rather precarious position."

Deciding there was no immediate threat, he gestured for Andre to take one of the seats facing his desk. "That sounds rather ominous. Do tell just what kind of precarious position you find yourself in."

Taking the seat and folding his arms in his lap, Andre explained. "As you may have noticed at the trial, my patience with my maker's antics is growing thin. She's always been eccentric, but she has become completely obsessed with taking Ms. Stackhouse. Upon my return the other evening, I explained Bill's punishment and the punishment for further attempts on the human girl. Unfortunately, she is beyond reason. I arrived in Shreveport last night under orders to capture the telepath and bring her to Sophie-Anne."

The magister's involuntary hiss caused the other vampire to pause, a rather frightened look on his face.

"Please, continue." Demetri was anxious to find out what else he had to say.

"I went straight to Fangtasia last night, hoping to catch Sheriff Northman, but was informed by Felecia that he wasn't expected at the club for another two nights. I came here, but you were out so I took a nearby hotel room and returned first thing this evening. I thought it best to inform you of my presence before someone misunderstood and did it for me." He paused, staring at his hands for a brief moment before meeting the magister's gaze again. "I have no wish to die for Sophie-Anne's obsession. We've grown apart in recent years and quite frankly I'm tired of being treated like the hired help instead of her progeny."

Leaning back in his chair, the magister pushed back from his desk. He knew it took a great deal of courage for Andre to come here. Under normal circumstances, this would be considered treason, but the situation with Sophie-Anne was anything but normal.

"I must say. I'm rather impressed with the intelligence you've shown by coming clean with your assignment. I will call Sheriff Northman and let him know of your admission. In the meantime, leave your contact information with my receptionist and the sheriff or I will be in touch. I suggest you stay close to your hotel and avoid being seen."

Understanding that was his dismissal and he was likely going to be watched for the duration of the night, Andre rose from his chair. "Thank you, magister. I'll do as instructed."

Staring at the door as it closed behind the queen's childe, Demetri was surprised by the way the meeting went. Waiting until he heard the outer door closed, he quickly called the security desk to notify Chris. That call finished, he dialed the sheriff.

After two rings, he heard Northman's voice on the other side and wasted no time with small talk.

"You'll never believe the visit that I just had."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Navigating the streets of Shreveport, Eric was anxious to get this evening over. Though they'd said little, the Viking already knew his mate and childe did not intend to let him make the hiring decision for the new day person alone.

After the call from Demetri, his curiosity was peaked. If Andre's story checked out, what exactly did he hope to gain from his admission? More importantly, could they trust him?

"Eric, quit worrying about it? We'll pay him a visit later. He doesn't know I can read his thoughts, so he'll have no reason to try to hide them."

Looking at his mate in the rear view mirror, he gave her a smile. Sometimes he still managed to forget just how powerful she was and that he no longer needed to beg for her assistance.

Hearing his thoughts, Sookie smiled back while silently replying. _"We're a team, Eric. We're in this together."_

Godric squeezed her hand, giving a gentle smile as if seconding her thoughts. He'd realized since Dallas that he'd spent far too little time with his childe over the last few decades. As a result, Eric had learned to rely only on Pam. It would take time for him to get used to having a family behind him.

The Viking noticed Jessica looking slightly puzzled by the conversation that she'd only heard a fraction of and opted to speak aloud. "We'll pay Andre a visit later tonight if the interviews go well. If not he may have to wait another night. Demetri has a guard on him, so I expect no trouble."

Before the conversation could continue, Eric pulled the SUV into the hotel parking lot. The four exited the vehicle and headed for the front entrance. Pam was just inside the lobby waiting for them.

"Pam, I didn't expect you to meet us at the door. I'm sure someone would have shown us the conference room."

Sookie read her thoughts before the vampire responded and snickered.

"Yes, they could have, but I don't believe you're interested in what they really want to show you." Grinning at the telepath, she continued. "I thought I'd spare Sook the headache."

Looking between the two women, Eric understood her meaning and was grateful. It would take a while for everyone to accept that the perpetual bachelor and ladies' man was in a committed relationship.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

"Why Russell, it's so sweet of you to call." The King of Mississippi rolled his eyes. His fiancé was overacting a bit. It made her nervous when he called too often, which was exactly his intent. He needed to keep her on edge.

"You know how much I love to make you happy. Though I must admit, I'm calling to see if you've given any more thought to the date of our nuptials."

The silence on the other end of the line told him perhaps the procurement of his gift had hit another snag. He'd found out very little from his weres, but it was clear the girl was not in Bon Temps where she belonged and neither was Bill.

"Of course I've given it more thought. Andre is still in Shreveport tying up loose ends on your gift."

"I do hope he brings it home with him soon. It would be so nice to be married in the next few weeks." He wanted the alliance formed soon to proceed with his plan.

"Yes, it would. I promise I'll call you the moment he returns with your gift so we can set the date."

Realizing that was all the commitment he would get at present, the king hoped she made good on her promise.

"In that case, my darling, I'll let you get back to your night's activities. Do take care of yourself."

The queen gave a short farewell, wishing him well and reiterating her promise to call before they disconnected.

Sitting back in his chair, Russell considered their situation. Based on the information from the weres and what little Sophie-Anne was trying to procure the human, Sookie Stackhouse, as his wedding present. This left him with two questions. What was so damned special about the human and how in the world was she managing to elude both vampires and humans?

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Sitting behind a long table with Eric, Godric, Pam, and Jessica, Sookie flipped through the stack of applications for tonight's interviewees. Honestly, she'd never conducted a real interview in her life. Sure she'd helped Sam a few times at the bar, but those were always very short and if they didn't work out they either quit or he fired them. This was far more daunting.

Sensing her nervousness, Godric leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry; if a candidate survives an interview with the five of us they should be wonderful at the job. Not to mention, you'll be able to hear if they're trying to mislead us."

The ancient vampire gave her a quick kiss on the neck before leaning back into his seat just as the door opened with their first applicant.

The woman was young, blonde, and dressed like she belong on a street corner rather than at a job interview.

"No." The telepath hissed under her breath. The girl's thoughts gave her away almost as quickly as the outfit. Before anyone else could speak, the girl opened her mouth.

"Oh my! I'm ready to start tonight, just let me know which one of you I should start with. Ya'll won't take enough to drain me will you?" Clearly, she hadn't understood the job wasn't for a donor.

Eric shot a glare that could kill a lesser being at his progeny. "Deal with this."

Immediately, Pam rushed to the women and pulled her toward the door. "You're barking up the wrong tree if you think that's what Sheriff Northman is looking for. I suggest you leave now and give up whatever pipe dreams you had coming here."

As she headed back to her seat, Jessica laughed. "Well, I certainly hope that isn't indicative of how the rest of them will be." The rest of the group clearly shared her sentiments.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

A/N: Please take a moment to review! Your feedback and encouragement are truly appreciated.


	6. Stubbornness

**True Calling**

A/N: Surprise, I'm still alive and so is True Calling. This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but since it has taken so incredibly long to get this much done I decided to go ahead and post. No beta on this chapter, so all mistakes are completely my own.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

**Chapter 6: Stubbornness**

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Massaging his temples, Alec stared helplessly down at the collection of necklaces the jeweler had on display.

"This is impossible. I can't find anything that seems worthy of her."

Isabelle couldn't help but stare rather confused at the knight. "Alec, these are the best and most expensive pieces available in Shreveport. Even if they weren't, I'm reasonably certain she will love anything you give her simply because it comes from you. Now quit being so stubborn and pick one."

His eyes met her, a small flicker of hope in them as her words really hit.

"Plus, you've already told me that you're having her ring made just like the guys did for Sookie."

Reaching out to the necklaces laid out in front of him, Alec gently picked up a simple pearl and diamond piece. "Are there matching earrings for this one?"

As the jeweler disappeared, Isabelle elbowed him playfully. "Smart man, always get the matching pieces."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Thirty minutes into the interviews, the Sookie was ready to let one of the vamps drain the next idiot that walked through the door if they weren't a better caliber that the first few candidates.

As the door opened, everyone tensed. Instantly recognizing Alec, Sookie let out a relieved sigh and Jessica smiled brightly.

"Miladies." The knight gave a quick bow. "Judging by that response, things must not be starting well." He kept his features serious as the other vampires rolled their eyes.

"You could say that." Sookie grumbled quietly. Before she could elaborate further they heard footsteps approaching the door. A few seconds later a man in his mid-20s appeared.

His honey colored hair was slightly mussed, but otherwise he appeared well kept. His clothing was neat and orderly, even if it was more than a bit on the cheap side.

The family stared at him as he made his way to stand in front of the lone chair in the middle of the room. As if interviewing with a group of vampires wasn't intimidating enough they'd set it up like an interrogation.

Realizing all the vamps in the room were doing their best to silently terrify the candidate, the fae finally spoke up. "So, you must be Timothy. Why don't you start by telling us what you believe you are interviewing for?" He probably found the question odd, but given the percent of candidates that seemed to read 'day person' as 'donor' it seemed appropriate to her.

Since he'd entered the room the telepath had assembled a fair amount of information. The poor guy was nervous to the point of terror about the interview, but was determined to do well. He desperately wanted, no needed, a better paying job than what he currently had. His mother's recent cancer diagnosis meant a mountain of medical bills that they weren't currently able to handle.

The human looked slightly puzzled at her first question, but took a deep breath and did his best to answer. "I am interviewing for the position of Mr. Northman's day man. As I understand it that entails taking orders from him or anyone in his immediate family, vampire or otherwise."

Sookie smiled encouragingly at him, so he continued. "I understand duties may involve anything with the day to day running of Fangtasia as well as any personal matters."

The Viking nodded his head, effectively silencing Timothy. "And you believe you are qualified to handle these responsibilities?"

Sitting even straighter in his chair, the young man met Eric's gaze. "I'll be honest, I have no specific experience as a day man or personal assistant; however, I've worked at the same small shop on the outskirts of town since I was 16 and have helped the owner with just about everything. I'm a fast learner and have absolutely no problem following instructions."

His expression showed how desperate he was and the vampires, having not paid attention to what Sookie was reading from him earlier were perplexed. She picked up from Eric that he was considered about having a day man that would come across weak. As soon as she picked up the thought, she grabbed his wrist as well as Godric's and pushed the earlier information about the candidate to them.

"_Give him a chance. I've seen nothing to concern me."_ The tone of her silent message told the vampires she was serious.

Godric continued with the next question. "Are you able to commit to the long hours often required to properly execute this job?"

"Yes sir. I am ready and willing to work whatever hours are necessary." He closed his eyes briefly and the fae picked up the rest. _"Thank goodness Aunt Wendy moved in to help with Mama. It's one more mouth to feed, but she can handle all the medical appointments."_

After several more questions they'd determined he had no ulterior motives for pursuing the position, was far too terrified of vampires to want to act as a source for food or recreation, had no prejudices against other humans or vampires, and was raised to have an exacting work ethic. The entire time, Sookie was careful to listen to both his audible and inaudible responses.

"Is there anything else you feel we should know?" Jessica asked. They were all curious if he would come clean about the reason for wanting the job.

He stared at his hands, neatly folded in lap, before seeming to decide his answer. "I know to all of you, I may just be a stupid human, but I promise I'll work harder than anyone you've ever hired before. I need this position, I've loved working at the shop, but my mama has lung cancer and even with what insurance she has the medical bills are coming in fast and piling up high. I'll do anything you ask of me if it means I can give her a fighting chance."

His eyes met each of theirs as the tears overflowed. He swiped tears away with the back of his hand, refusing to look down.

"Thank you for your time, Timothy. Should you remain in consideration someone will be in touch by tomorrow night." Godric could tell Sookie was ready to offer him the position on the spot, but the read he got from Eric was more hesitant.

"Thank you, sir. I hope to hear from someone." As he rose and headed to the door, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. He clearly thought he'd been written off.

The door barely had time to shut, when Sookie looked at Eric. "What the hell is your problem? Other than the fact he didn't come off all macho was did you see wrong?"

"I don't know, but I think we should continue with the other interviews." The Viking was clearly trying not to think of something and the telepath could tell.

"Fine, but this conversation isn't over." She was irritated that he couldn't just make the decision and let this be over. The remaining applications weren't looking promising.

After two hours, the young fae had moved from irritated to seething. During a break about half way through Godric had strategically nudged the group into different seats so he and Eric were at the ends and Sookie was in the middle flanked by Pam on one side and Jessica and Alec on the other. Otherwise, he was reasonably certain his mate was going to find something to use as a stake.

Thinking back over the evening as he matched Sookie stride for stride as she stormed out of the hotel, he could see why she was pissed. Of the ten candidates after Timothy, five were ready to strip naked and donate on the spot, one couldn't form a coherent sentence, and the other four wanted inside her pants.

Eric's line of random questioning hadn't help. Rather than trying to dig himself out of the hole, he seemed determined to dig it deeper. Would anyone notice if you suddenly disappeared? You understand you're paid to do as you're told not think or have an opinion, correct? Do you really expect to work for someone like me dressed like that? The list of questions that annoyed their mate just seemed to go on forever.

When the valet pulled up with the car, Godric wasted no time ushering Sookie into the back with him as Eric growled and took the driver's seat.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

Pulling up to the hotel where Demetri indicated Andre was staying, Eric looked in the rear view mirror. The vision he received of his mate looking perfectly calm and happy made him do a double take.

Exiting the car, he beat the valet to her door and reached in for her hand. She took it with a sweet smile, but he quickly realized all was not forgiven.

"_Don't start, Eric. Let's just get through this so I can get home."_

His maker exited the car behind Sookie, and placed a hand gently on the small of her back. The three of them made their way into the hotel and Eric quickly stepped away to secure a place for them to speak privately and have Andre summoned.

Moments later they were quietly ensconced in a private dining area, three glasses of True Blood and one cup of hot tea laid out on the table. The waiter stepped aside to let Andre in as he was exiting the room.

From her position between her mates, Sookie tried to look calm. Her concern over what the queen's progeny wanted and her aggravation with Eric made it difficult, but she was determined to focus on the task at hand.

"So, Andre. I hear from the magister that you wished to speak with me." The Viking's tone was less than friendly. "Quite honestly, amazed you had the balls to venture so close to us after our last meeting."

"Sheriff, Godric, Ms. Stackhouse." Andre gave a slight bow of greeting. "Believe me, I had no intention of returning to your area so soon. I'll venture a guess that the magister informed you of the task I was given by Sophie-Ann."

The three nodded. Sookie was soaking up everything she could from his mind. He was telling the truth, he didn't want to be here this soon or under these circumstances; however, he wasn't at all sad to be away from his maker. She caught bits and pieces of his interactions with the queen recently and could tell he was fed up.

"So, what do you hope to gain by coming to us? Are we supposed to believe you'd truly betray her or is this just a ploy to save your own ass?"

His immediate mental image of staking his maker and living happily serving them surprised Sookie and her mates as they read it from her.

"First and foremost, I hope to gain at least a few more years of existence. Secondly, this isn't some overnight decision. I've been trying to find a way to part from the queen for quite some time, but you must understand how difficult that is given that she is not only our queen, but my maker as well. I've struggled to deal with her for many years, but recently she's crossed too many lines and clearly cares for no one's safety and well-being but her own."

The three mates were surprised that he was being so honest, but his thoughts matched his words and his expression held no sign of deceit.

"I understand trusting me is not going to come easy, but I'm willing to earn it. I'm not powerful enough to overthrow her myself, but I can promise to serve you well if you have need of my services."

Eric and Godric stared the other vampire down across the table as they each took a long drink of True Blood. The Viking struggled not to look down at their mate when he felt her hand gently caress his thigh.

"You are right. You will have to earn our trust. How much time do you have before Sophie-Ann is likely to send someone looking for you?"

"I've told her this could take quite some time, as I needed to learn your routine in order to carry out her request, so I probably have at least a week before she goes completely off the deep end."

Rising from their chairs, the trio had the information they needed for now. "We'll be in touch. I recommend your maintain your accommodation here so we can easily find you if needed. In the meantime, perhaps it is best if you make it look as if you are scoping out our routines. Those closest to us will know of this conversation so you should be in no immediate danger."

With Eric's parting words the two vampires ushered their mate away from the queen's progeny.

Approaching the car, Eric reached to open the passenger door for Sookie hoping that maybe the show she'd put on for Andre had helped convince her not to be mad.

"I don't think so. I'll be joining Godric in the back." Her voice was cold. Clearly, she hadn't gotten over her ire yet.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

As soon as the family crossed the threshold, Elizabeth and Thomas met them in the foyer. One look at their mistress told the pair everything they needed to know.

Reaching out her hand to Sookie, the housekeeper put an arm around her and led her toward the kitchen, giving Eric a glare as they left. "You look famished. Why don't we see what kind of goodies Jamie has before you retire for the night?"

The Viking should have known he'd get no sympathy from his female employees for upsetting Sookie. Turning to face the butler, he was somewhat startled to find the lack of sympathy apparently extended to the men as well.

"Master Northman." Thomas's greeting was far more formal and curt than usual before he took their coats and disappeared.

Godric was struggling not to laugh at his childe. He almost felt bad for Eric, but in truth, the Viking needed to learn not to let his foolish pride get in the way.

"Perhaps you should give her some space tonight."

Looking a bit like a lost puppy, Eric nodded. "You're probably right. The stubborn woman will probably stake me if I try to share a bed with her tonight."

Reaching up to squeeze his childe's shoulder, he shook his head. "I'll come find you once she's asleep."

"No. Stay with her. I don't want to her to wake alone if anything happens." The only two times they left her completely unattended while sleeping, she'd had nightmares. Even annoyed with her he wanted to know she was protected. "I need some time to think anyway. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Not waiting for a response, Eric disappeared to his study.

Deciding not to argue, Godric moved toward the kitchen. He could hear the conversation and stifled a laugh at the choice words Jamie and Elizabeth had for their employer. The two women adored Eric most of the time, but clearly that adoration and the accompanying loyalty would not protect him when he upset Sookie.

Slowly opening the door, he peeked in. "Is it safe to enter?"

He wasn't sure if the sound of the women laughing at his question meant it was safe or that he should flee.

"As long as the idiot isn't with you it's safe to enter." Jamie's tone was only slightly teasing.

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Settling into his chair, Eric propped his head in his hands. He still wasn't sure how things had done so far awry at the interviews.

Staring at his desk for twenty minutes didn't serve to provide much enlightenment. Why was she so mad at him?

A knock at the door interrupted his completely unproductive musings.

"Come in." The Viking didn't even bother asking who it was. It didn't really matter since everyone seemed to be mad at him.

"Have you had enough time to sulk on your own?" The knight asked as he shut the door behind him and crossed to the same chair he'd been in the night before while seeking his friend's blessing with Jessica.

"I'm not sulking." Eric glared at him as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"Okay, if you're not sulking are you ready to discuss what happened and how you fix it?" Arching his brow and smirking at the other vampire, Alec wanted to be with his mate, but they both agreed that Eric needed some guidance on what had happened. He was clearly out of his element.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. I'm not allowed to rejoin my mate until I've helped you come to your senses, so the faster we can do this the happier we'll all be."

The Viking's posture relaxed slightly. Alec clearly wasn't on his side in the argument, but he was at least willing to help him figure out what to do.

"Good. First thing, Sookie had a fair question. What is your objection to Timothy?"

Eric's eyes dropped to the floor as if he was too guilty to admit it.

"Out with it, brother. I cannot help you if you won't admit it." He smiled as Eric's eyes flicked back up to meet his own.

"I'm jealous. He seemed so nice and so vulnerable. She's going to like him more than me." Launching himself from his seat, he started pacing the floor. "Shit, I sound like a damned besotted school boy."

Alec couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, you do. Has she given you any reason to question her love or her loyalty?"

"No."

"Do you have so little faith in her as to believe one little human could take your place in her heart?"

"No."

"Then why are you being so damned stubborn?" The only response was a low growl. "My suggestion, get off your high horse. Break out a pen and paper, concede that you were wrong and gravel. Your best bet is to appease her as soon as she wakes or by tomorrow night when you wake she may be waiting with a sharpened stake."

"Fine." Eric resumed his chair and reached for the drawer holding his stationary.

"Well, my work here is done. I'm off to fine Jessica." Alec smiled at his friend as he stood and headed for the door.

Just outside the door, he heard the Viking's quiet voice. "Thank you, brother." They may not have shared human lineage or a maker, but in the ways that matter most they were truly brothers.

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

A/N: Please take a moment to review! Your feedback and encouragement are truly appreciated.


	7. Forgiveness

**True Calling**

A/N: I'm sorry about the incredible delay between chapters. Life has just been more than a bit on the hectic side. I hope that upcoming chapters won't take as long, but rest assured that no matter the delays between chapters, they will show up and the story will be finished.

No beta on this chapter (she's busy writing some incredible original fiction), so all mistakes are completely my own.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; I'm just borrowing them to play.

**Chapter 7: Forgiveness**

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Slipping through the door, Godric gave Jamie and Elizabeth a warm smile as he looked at the back of his mate's head. "No, the idiot is off trying to pry his head out of his ass."

"Not sure he'll succeed. It seems to be stuck pretty far up there." Her voice was biting, but still held a hint of laughter. She turned slightly in her seat and nudged the stool next to her out a bit. "Pull up a seat. I was just filling the ladies in on the evening."

Wasting no time, he took the seat before leaning over to give her a quick kiss on the temple. "True, though I do hope he manages. Alas, I'm not here to defend him. He needs to find his own way out of this mess."

That statement seemed to please all three of the women. He had no doubt that Sookie and Eric would work out the dispute over hiring Timothy and he seriously hoped that his childe would truly get his head around his issues to avoid similar situations in the future.

"So, how far into the evening did you get before I interrupted?" He smiled as his fae scooted her stool closer and leaned into his side. Wrapping his arm around her, the ancient vampire inhaled her scent.

Watching the tender display, the chef exchanged a smile with the housekeeper. "She was just recounting the rather atrocious selection of candidates you endured."

Laughing quietly, Godric nodded his head. "Indeed, aside from young Timothy not a single candidate came close to meeting our standards."

"Young Timothy?" Both Jamie and Elizabeth immediately questioned.

Catching her mate's eye, Sookie shrugged. "I was just about to get to that part." Quickly recounting the details of the only seemingly successful interview, the fae sighed as she leaned further into Godric.

"If Mr. High and Mighty would just get over his issues, he'd have a new day man now. Instead, we're going to get stuck wasting another night trying to weed through candidates that are mostly fangbangers hoping to get close to Eric."

Clearing the empty teacup from in front of Sookie, the chef looked sympathetically at the pair. "Hopefully Master Northman will come to his senses quickly. In the meantime, why don't the two of you turn in for the night? I'm sure you're exhausted dear."

Jamie and Elizabeth were both positive Godric would take good care of their young mistress and things would look better in the morning. If not, Eric would likely need to start watching out for stakes when he rose.

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Opening the door to their room, Godric's hand rested gently on his mate's lower back as he ushered her into the room.

"Why don't you change into your robe while I prepare a bath for you?" Seeing her mouth open to argue, he quickly placed a gentle kiss on the corner of her lips. "Little one, it's been an outrageously long and frustrating evening. Let me pamper you for a bit, please?"

Smiling back at him, the telepath nodded her head. "If you insist."

"I do." He turned her toward the closet and playfully smacked her backside before disappearing into the bathroom.

Moments later, Sookie slipped into the bathroom. "Something smells wonderful." Glancing around the room she froze as her eyes landed on her mate's bare chest. She never ceased to appreciate the view where he was concerned.

A quiet chuckle interrupted her train of thought. "Would you prefer to continue to stare, Little One, or to come enjoy your bath?" He extended a hand toward her.

"The bath; on one condition." The fae smirked and she stepped forward and clasped his hand.

"And just what would that be?" The vampire's voice held a hint of laughter. He was certainly pleased to see she wasn't going to let Eric's frustrating behavior get the better of her.

Feeling her warmth press into his cool body, Godric fought the sigh that wanted to escape. His reaction to her was immediate and intense.

Nuzzling gently at his neck, Sookie left a trail of kisses up to his ear before whispering, "Join me."

Before he could respond, she pulled away. Giving the tie of her robe a gentle tug, she shrugged out of the silk letting it fall to the floor. Stepping into the oversized tub, she looked back over her shoulder just in time to catch a fully naked Godric closing the distance between them, fangs fully extended.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, the ancient vampire held onto her gently as he arranged them. Seating himself, he lowered her so he straddled his lap.

Taking full advantage of their new position, he brushed his tongue slowly over her breast. Her body shuddered in response, her head falling back. Only his strong arm still surrounding her kept the blonde from falling back into the water.

Maintaining his hold on her, he let his other hand wander over her other breast and his mouth continued its attentions. He could feel his mate letting herself surrender to the sensations he created within her.

As he sucked at her nipple, he felt her body instinctively shift to find the pressure it so desperately craved. It didn't have far to seek as his erection throbbed against her. He lifted her just enough so his head pressed against her most sensitive flesh.

Rubbing against him as continued to assault her breasts, Sookie quickly felt the orgasm rush through her body. Her body jerked against his she cried out his name.

His voice was low and thick as it penetrated the haze of her mind. "Are you ready for more, little one?"

"Yes." Her breathy response was so quite human ears would have missed it entirely.

Wasting no time, he lifted his lover to position her entrance over his quivering cock before bringing her swiftly back down. Her heat engulfed him and he knew this would be quick.

Slipping a hand around her neck, he pulled her lips to his as her body found a satisfying rhythm to ride him. The telepathic link between them was feeding both their excitement. He couldn't imagine how she was still able to function under the force of their combined arousal.

All too quickly, the sensation got the best of them both as they cried out together. Sookie collapsed against his chest, her energy completely spent after two intense releases mere moments apart. Godric felt himself twitching, still inside her, as he wrapped her arms tightly around her and gently kissed the top of her head.

A short while later, he felt her shiver against his body. "Perhaps we should get you washed and into bed."

Her unintelligible mumbled was the only reply he received. Shaking his head as he smiled at her unmoving form he quickly set to work getting her cleaned up, dried off, and tucked safely into bed.

He knew Eric would come to find him at some point, but for the time being he was perfectly content to stay wrapped around his beloved.

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Emerging from his room, the carefully wrapped package in his hands, Alec hurried toward his mate's room. Despite reassurances from both Isabelle and the jeweler, he was still nervous.

The door to her room opened before he knocked, her anxious face peering up at him. "Did you talk some sense into him?"

Stepping into the room, he laughed quietly. "I believe I was able to get through that stubborn head of his, though we'll see how he manages the follow through."

Following him further into the room, Jessica wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned into his chest. She was quickly finding this was one of her favorite spots. It was a place where she felt loved, safe, and strong.

Wrapping his arms around her, Alec was content to hold her for the moment. After so many years alone, it was a pleasant and very welcome change to let someone in and share those easy, intimate moments.

Her slightly muffled voice against his chest interrupted his reverie. "What's in the package?"

The knight grinned down at her as he loosened his hold so she could step back slightly. "I should have known you'd spot that." Holding the package out to her, he again felt nervous. "I wanted to get you something."

The young vampire carefully unwrapped the package before slowly opening the lid to the necklace case.

Raising her eyes to meet him, the red tears he saw pooling in them alarmed him. "Jess. Love. I'm sorry. If you don't like them, I'll get you something different. I've already got your ring ordered, but didn't want to wait…."

Her small hand over his lips made him stop in the middle of his rambling apology.

"They're beautiful."

His head cocked to the side in confusion at her words.

Seeing her mate at a loss, she reached up and placed a quick kiss on his stunned lips. "Alec, I'm not crying because I'm upset. I'm crying because I love them. I've never received anything like this before. Will you help me put it on?"

Her simple request jarred him back into action. Gingerly taking the necklace from its case, he stepped behind her to secure it around her neck. Perhaps he should be a bit easier on Eric, keeping things straight when you cared so much for a woman was clearly harder than expected.

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Pushing the door open, Pam couldn't help but notice the collection of crumpled paper strewn across the floor. Looking up, she shook her head at the sight of her maker slumped over his desk, his long fingers tangled in his hair.

Certain he would have heard the door open, Pam moved slowly across the room. The clicking of her heels signaling her approach.

"Damn it, Eric. Why do you have to be so incredibly stubborn?" Walking around the desk, she sat on the edge of the desk next to his sagging shoulders. Peering down, she could see Eric's distinctive script on the page in front of him.

My Dearest Sookie,

I'm sorry.

Again eyeing the wads of paper on the floor, Pam could tell he was genuinely sorry for his attitude earlier in the evening. She knew he was perfectly capable of firing off a disingenuous apology in mere seconds. The harder it was for him the more heartfelt it was.

Cautiously placing a hand on her maker's shoulder, she gave a gentle squeeze.

"Eric, snap out of it. Pretending I'm not here and staring at a mostly blank sheet of paper isn't going to fix this."

Raising his head, the Viking looked nothing like his usual arrogant self. "Care to tell me what will fix it."

"As a matter of fact, yes I do. Although I'm reasonably positive you know as well, so let's get to it."

Pulling the sheet of pulling the sheet of paper out from under his arm, she wadded it up and tossed it in the direction of the others.

"First, we start fresh. Consider me your sounding board. You tell me what is going on inside that incredibly dense head of yours and I'll help translate it into something that will get your point across without driving Sookie to stake you."

Eric closed met her eyes. "Okay. I'm not so keen on this whole theme of me getting staked."

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Shortly before dawn, Godric finally heard the sound of his progeny's steps coming toward the room. Slipping out of bed and quickly throwing some clothes on, he was careful to make as little noise as possible when he exited to the hall.

"Is she okay?" Eric's voice was uncertain and full of concern.

"Yes, she's sleeping soundly." Relief flooded the Viking's eyes as his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Have you decided to be reasonable then?"

"As reasonable as I'm ever capable of being when she's involved. I swear, Godric, I don't know what comes over me with her. I knew I was wrong and I knew I was being stupid, but I just couldn't stop myself."

The older vampire had felt everything from his childe earlier. He knew the struggle he was having, but given the unique relationship with the three of them Godric had quickly there were times he simply needed to let Eric figure out the path on his own.

"I doubt it would be wise for me to sleep in there." He gestured toward their room before extending a neatly sealed letter to his maker. "Can you make sure she gets this when she wakes up? I want to make sure she sees it quickly so she doesn't spend too much of the day assuming I'm still being a stubborn ass."

Godric couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the reality of the words. "Of course, my childe. Am I to conclude you've conceded to hiring young Timothy?"

"Yes. I've indicated as much to her and asked her to have Thomas call and arrange for him to be here shortly after sundown if that is agreeable to her. I hate that she's going for the passport appointment before things are fixed between us."

Godric felt for him, neither of them were thrilled with the idea of her being away while they were dead for the day, but he knew the weres would protect her carefully and do their best to make sure she returned completely unscathed.

"I know, but postponing her appointment will get you nowhere and interrupting her sleep may get you staked no matter how apologetic you are about earlier." Seeing the look in Eric's eyes, he reached to open the door. "She's sound asleep, so she won't know you're here. Why don't you just come sit quietly for a few minutes? The proximity may do you well."

Not bothering to argue, the Viking followed quietly. Silently moving one of the chairs closer to the bed, he sat staring at his mate as Godric resumed his position in the bed with her.

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The irritating buzz of an alarm clock jarred Sookie from her sleep. Since arriving in Shreveport she'd had little reason to use it, but her appoint at the passport office was set for noon and they had a roughly three hour drive to get there.

Turning the alarm off, she peered at the nightstand to see the unexpected object her hand found. A simple envelope with her name in a script she recognized waited for her.

Glancing behind her, she confirmed that only Godric was in bed with her. Whatever the envelope may hold, her Viking hadn't been gutsy enough to show up in bed.

The fae truly hoped he'd gotten over whatever irrational fear he held that made him react to badly to the idea of hiring Timothy. She'd been too furious with him the night before to focus on what his issue was, but that didn't mean she didn't realize there was something.

Deciding her train of thought was getting her nowhere; Sookie grabbed the letter and headed for one of the oversized chairs. Flipping on the reading light, she pulled the neatly folded sheet from the envelope.

_My Dearest Sookie,_

_I'm sorry. I behaved like a complete idiot and I knew it. I let my fear and jealously cloud my judgment when I should have simply trusted you. There are no excuses and again, I'm sorry. _

_I've let instructions with Thomas that upon receiving your clearance he should call Timothy and arrange for his arrival shortly after sunrise to iron out the details of his employment. _

_Stay safe today on your trip. I know Godric and I will not rest easily while you are away._

_With all my love,_

_Eric_

Wiping a tear from her eye, Sookie smiled down at the words on the page. The missive was short, but she knew well how hard those words would have been for him to right.

Knowing she had little time to mess around this morning, the young fae rose and went directly to the small desk in the corner of the room. Pulling out a sheet of paper, she wrote quickly.

_My Idiot Viking,_

_You're right, there are no excuses and you were an idiot. Regardless, you're my idiot and I still love you. _

_I'll have Thomas make the call._

_Yours always,_

_Sookie_

Folding the short note and setting it aside, she pulled out a second sheet.

_Godric,_

_I should be home before you rise, but didn't want to worry. I love you._

_The idiot came to his senses. Everything will be fine. _

_Yours always,_

_Sookie_

Half an hour later, with both letters placed for her vampires to find upon rising, she made her way to the kitchen for a quick breakfast before the trip to Arkansas.

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As the caravan made its way through the streets of Hot Springs toward the passport office the thought she'd had when they stepped out of the house that morning finally got the better of her.

"I feel like a foreign dignitary when a hop across state lines requires three large black SUVs." Sookie looked over at the witch and shook her head. "I mean really, did Eric buy an entire fleet of these things?"

The were's uncharacteristic coughing fit from the driver's seat caught both women's attention.

"Alcide, is there something you need to tell us?" Their eyes met in the rearview mirror, as he shook his head no. Rolling her eyes, the fae smirked. "How many lovely Mercedes SUVs do we now own?"

"Six." He looked apologetic while Amelia erupted into uncontrollable giggles.

"Why? Never mind, I don't want to know. These things must have cost a fortune." The fae wanted to be mad or even surprised about this little development, but she realized it was pointless to argue so she might as well just enjoy the ride.

Seeing Sookie visibly relax a bit, Alcide gave her a wolfy grin. "You know how your vamps work. They wanted to ensure you were traveling in style." He was glad she hadn't continued with the questions. There was no way he wanted to tell her the new SUVs had set Northman back upward of $600,000 with all the upgrades they'd made. Personally, he was just amazed they'd been delivered so quickly.

Arriving at the passport office, Alcide waited until weres from the other two vehicles were out and gave the all clear before getting out.

The two women were surrounded by, what to the average human, would appear to be seven very large men. Fortunately, most humans had no idea just how dangerous these seven could be if provoked and were not likely to find out.

"Everything as planned." Alcide glanced around the group.

"10-4, boss." Trey smirked as he replied. The others gave similar confirmations before splitting off to their pre-assigned locations. They all knew that the nine of them would attract too much attention if they all went in for Sookie's appointment and had agreed that only Alcide and Amelia would go inside.

Entering the door the were quickly observed the security desk and hoped they were effective. It took only a second for the scent of an unknown were to penetrate his senses. His eyes flashed in the direction of the smell and found an armed guard eying him suspiciously.

Placing himself between the now approaching were and the two women, he was glad for their silent cooperation.

"Name's Johnny." The unfamiliar man held his hand out to Alcide. "Something I can help you folks with?"

Sookie placed her hand on the exposed skin at the back of Alcide's arm, her other hand grasping Amelia's.

"_He appears to be friend not foe. He's confused about why, but feels a strong need to ensure our safety."_

Registering the telepath's silent information, Alcide nodded to the other were. "Ms. Stackhouse has a noon appointment." Glancing at the clock, he could see they were about ten minutes early and fully expected they'd be waiting longer.

"Give me a just a second and I'll let you know where to go." The guard trotted over to the security desk and picked up the phone. A moment later, he was escorting them to an office of another were. "David'll make sure you're taken care of, ma'am. I'll be back to escort you out."

Entering the office, Alcide received a slight nod from Sookie indicating she heard nothing amiss. Seeing there were two chairs, he waited for the ladies to seat themselves as he stood guard immediately behind them.

"Ms. Stackhouse, you must be very important for Johnny to take note of you and to warrant such a guard. I do hope you weren't anticipating trouble today." The strange man looked warily up at her guard wolf.

"No, sir. My gran just taught me to be prepared." She gave him a genuine smile. He seemed to be feeling the same inexplicable need to protect as Johnny and she saw no reason to fear him.

"Well, we've had a few from a rogue pack around these parts lately, so I'd keep him close. Not to scare you, but I'd be glad to call a few of my pack in to escort you back out of town in case you run into trouble."

Nodding his head in understanding, Alcide answered quickly. "The other six from our detail are waiting outside, so unless it's a large pack we should be able to handle it."

"Last I heard there were still only five, so hopefully that hasn't changed. I also heard they were in with the head vamp from Mississippi and he's not exactly known for his charming personality."

The three from Shreveport did their best to mask the reaction to that news, but David noted something was wrong. Pulling out a card from his desk drawer, he handed it across to Sookie. "Hang onto that; if you ever need reinforcements just call that number. Someone from the pack always has the phone on them. I don't know who exactly you are, but something tells me we need to make sure the lot of you stay safe."

Hearing the sincerity behind his words, Sookie nodded. "Thank you. We appreciate that and though I'd like to say we won't need the help, these days I'm not willing to rule out the possibility."

"Now, I'm pretty sure you didn't come up here to talk security, so why don't we see about getting you a passport."

Less than an hour later, the Shreveport contingent was piled back into their SUVs speeding toward home with the new passport.

"I don't know what all that just meant, but something tells me we need to see Demetri tonight." Alcide was on high alert as they headed south on I-30.

Pulling out her phone, Sookie found the magister's cell number. "He won't be up yet, but I might as well leave him a message so he can head to the house sooner rather than later." After only one ring, the call went to his voicemail. "Demetri, its Sookie. Got some interesting information while getting my passport today. I'm guessing Eric and Godric will want to speak with you tonight. Come by the house when you can."

Watching as the fae put her phone away, Amelia shook her head. "I'll give you one thing, Sook. Life around you is never boring."

TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING / TRUE CALLING

A/N: Please take a moment to review! Your feedback and encouragement are truly appreciated.


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